Rural area - Number of village caretakers in Thuringia doubled since 2022
The number of village caretakers in Thuringia has grown significantly. Currently, there are 70 village caretakers financed through the state family program, as a spokesperson for the Thuringian Social Ministry stated in response to an inquiry. Since 2022, their number has more than doubled. Village caretakers are permanent contacts for people living in the countryside. They organize events or outings for residents, help with filling out forms when needed, or take on driving duties for shopping or doctor's appointments in villages with poor transport connections.
According to the ministry, they are in use in eight districts, including the Weimar Land, Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis, Kyffhauserkreis, and the Kreis Hildburghausen. The communes can decide whether to use village caretakers. They can employ them permanently or use them as volunteers with appropriate compensation.
Response to population development
Village caretakers are also a response to population development in many rural regions that have lost important supply offers such as shops, post offices, and doctor's practices in recent years. In view of the increasing aging of the population, the ministry expects a further increasing demand for this support offer.
The Landtag set a new annual minimum funding amount for the "Solidary Coexistence of Generations" program in Thuringia with a legislative amendment at the beginning of June. According to the ministry, approximately 16 million Euros are available annually for this purpose. This would give the communes sufficient planning security, according to the spokesperson.
In light of the population development in rural areas, societies in Erfurt and Thuringia are increasingly relying on village caretakers to address social affairs. These caretakers, who have seen their numbers more than double since 2022, provide vital assistance in districts such as Weimar Land and Kreis Hildburghausen, helping with everyday tasks and organizing events for residents.
