117 places opened in the social sector to support respite for informal caregivers

The government has opened 117 vacancies within a pilot project that allows informal caregivers to temporarily leave the person they care for in social sector facilities—such as day centers, CACI centers, or home support services—to rest. The project, which launched in January and operates in 18 municipalities (one per district in mainland Portugal), allows for absences of up to seven consecutive hours, capped at 56 hours per month per person cared for. Informal caregivers must check their local district center's online portal to locate participating facilities and check availability.