Helpmate – Online Education for Caregivers
“We help those who help children!”
Welcome to HELPMATE – C4C’s online, educational platform for educators. It is primarily designed to support caregivers working in children’s homes. It helps them to better develop their skills, share experiences and find inspiration for their daily work with children.
While fundamentally designed for caregivers, it also offers tangible benefits for foster parents, teaching assistants and social workers. Anyone who wants to provide children with a stable and supportive environment can make good use of it.
Why was Helpmate created?
Through our many years of work in children’s homes, we’ve learned that the biggest change in a child’s life is brought about by those who spend the most time with them — their caregivers! But these dear souls often struggle to find time and space for their own professional growth, lacking training and support.
That’s why we created HelpMate – a space that supports self-education, experience-sharing, and professional development for caregivers.
How does Helpmate work?
The platform combines e-learning, online meetings, and community sharing.
Caregivers learn through short, flexible modules, available anytime – using videos, case studies, games, quizzes, and interactive exercises.
The entire system is designed to support long-term growth, self-reflection, and burnout prevention – so that caregivers can continue to be a reliable and trusted support for the children in their care.
Expertise and Accreditation
The Helpmate educational program has been accredited by the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic.HelpMate content is created by psychologists, trainers, and adult education specialists who contribute not only theory but also practical experience from working with children and caregiver teams.
Find more information about the course content here: Program Overview and Course Details (Czech only)
Helpmate in Numbers
- 19 different courses
- Dozens of hours of video lessons and practical exercises
- Nearly 600 certificates issued
- Average participant rating: 1.3 (on a 1–5 scale, where 1 = excellent)
Credit to whom credit is due!
The creation and implementation of C4C´s Helpmate project has been a monumental effort for our team, treating into heretofore uncharted territory. Below we´d like to give credit to all those who have worked so hard on bringing it to fruition.
Ing. Monika Kavanová, Ph.D. – Monika first saw the need for HelpMate when mentoring children in orphanages. Consequently, her vision inspired our team to work on it.
Ing. Markéta Franke – Former Chairwoman of the C4C Foundation. She is a lecturer, e-learning specialist, experienced mentor and she has for 8 years actively worked with children in orphanages. Marketa also has a 25 year background in IT management.
Bc. Jana Koláříková, MSc. – Helpmate project Manager – Currently responsible for the continuance, oversight and development of the HelpMate platform, contributes to the creation of new modules, and provides support to caregivers using HelpMate
Petra Erguvanli – Springboard to Life Project Manager at Chance 4 Children, working with orphanage management since 2017.
Mgr. Tereza Forejtová – Psychologist, with long experience in pedagogical and psychological counseling centres as a school psychologist.
M.Sc. Kateřina Kopečná – Psychologist, has been working for 10 years as a school psychologist
M.Sc. Jaroslava Haĺková – E-learning specialist, Co-founder of the company Zobárna (concept of blended learning).
Karolína Kubicová – creator of interactive elements
Gabriel Szabó – Technical support and all around go-to man.
Philip Morris CR – A special shout out goes to this company who has financially supported the HelpMate project from its very beginning. Thank you!
Will you join us?
Helpmate is open to all children’s homes that want to support the professional growth of their caregivers and create an environment where everyone learns, shares, and grows — together with their constituency – the children they care for.
Get in touch with us!
Bc. Jana Koláříková, MSc.
Helpmate project Manager
mail: pomocnik@c4c.cz
phone: +420 722 419 534
Supported by:
Please Support Us!
Help us to care for those who care for children.
Behind every child who overcomes a difficult life situation stands a caregiver – someone who believes in them, encourages them, and helps them find safety again.
Your support helps us develop Helpmate – a space where caregivers gain new skills, inspiration, and the strength to continue their important work.
Contribute via [Darujme.cz] (link and photo to be added)
What our participants say:
Caregiver, Children’s Home Ústí nad Labem: “The whole program was kind, safe, and very inspiring. I always felt accepted just as I am. It helped me find new ways to connect with children of all ages – from toddlers to teenagers – with more understanding, patience, and respect.
I would recommend it to anyone who truly wants to be there for children, not just lead them – and who doesn’t want to lose themselves in the process.”
Caregiver, Children’s Home Žatec: “I appreciated the flexible time for completing tasks. The online meetings were wonderful – we could share our experiences, insights, and feelings, and also hear advice from an experienced professional.
It was great to do it all from home, without traveling anywhere. It’s good to name things, talk them through, remind ourselves – but most importantly, try them out. Some of the techniques are very practical, not just for work but for life in general. Thank you for this course.”
Caregiver, Klokánek Chomutov: “I really liked the homework format and our pleasant follow-up meetings. The whole course was engaging and fun, which I enjoyed a lot. I gained many useful tips and ideas on how to get closer to children and help them start their lives in a positive way. Thank you for the valuable information – I hope this isn’t our last time together!”
