YoungCare, an Erasmus+ Project, is dedicated to promoting strategies that alleviate the challenges faced by informal caregivers and younger individuals in need of care. The project initiated by conducting comprehensive research on informal caregivers across partner countries: Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, and Lithuania. Given the scarcity of data on informal caregivers and to capture perspectives from the target group, interviews were conducted with caregivers, younger adults in need of care, and experts. The findings are compiled in the National Reports, accessible in English here:

• Portuguese National Report
• German National Report
• Dutch National Report
• Italian National Report
• Lithuanian National Report

Building on the data from National Reports, the consortium is currently developing a European Compendium. This comprehensive resource will provide insights into the perspectives of people in need of care and their caregivers through interview analyses, offering recommendations for action. The European Compendium is designed as a learning material to introduce the topic effectively.

Upcoming milestones include:

1. E-learning Platform: Tailored to the specific needs of the target groups, the YoungCare e-learning platform addresses the lack of content-related work in caregiving, considering the unique wants and needs of the target group. It aims to provide learning and information resources about potential measures to alleviate the burdens of both younger dependent individuals and their informal caregivers. 
2. Recommendations for Policymakers and Formal Caregivers: To address the information needs of decision-makers at political and associational levels, as well as formal caregivers, our project will offer recommendations tailored for both groups. These recommendations aim to raise awareness of the topic and propose solutions to structural problems.

The consortium comprises six partners from five countries: ISIS Institut für Soziale Infrastruktur gemeinnützige GmbH (Germany - Coordinator), AFEdemy, SHINE 2Europe (Portugal), Academy on Age-Friendly Environments In Europe BV (The Netherlands), Vytauto Didziojo Universitetas (Lithuania), CADIAI (Italy), and PARITÄTISCHE Projekte gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbH (Germany).

For more details about the project, visit our website, available in German, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, and Lithuanian.