Limits to growth of familialism? The evolution of care systems in Southern Europe

Southern European countries (SE) are unanimously considered as familialistic countries, where informal caregiving provided by family members is the highest and welfare policy has long implicitly supported it, with comparatively lower public provision. This model has come under strain since recent demographic and social trends have increased the demand for greater provision of formal care services. This chapter describes such challenges and how SE countries have reacted. After reviewing the academic debate about the SE welfare model, we analyze the main social and demographic changes challenging this model. Against this background, the article reconstructs the changes occurred in both Early Childhood Education and Care and Long-term Care policies in the last two decades, discussing convergence and divergence among countries. In the conclusion, we discuss whether a SE care model is still to be found, what are its main characteristics, and what are the most crucial challenges for further research.