Abstract
Article deals with the role of informal (family) carers for disabled children and very old people dependent on a care in the social and health services system. Situation in the Czech Republic is analysed in the context of modern trends in the public policies targeted on family carers.
In the second part of the article we analyse results of qualitative research on family carers who reflected the situation in the social and health services for disabled children and seniors. We put our attention to the services targeted also on the carers.
We show that social and health longterm care system supports inherited familialistic tendencies and relies upon provision of personal care as a sign of love. Even there are available programmes for the carers within the system of public policy, their situation is not very favourable.
In reality they face shortages of professional services and lack of financial resources for buying appropriate services for dependent persons and themselves. We found the situation of family carers for disabled children is relatively better than the situation of ones caring for dependent seniors.