All roles/Specialist crew/Childcare Specialist
Specialist crew
Childcare Specialist
A Childcare Specialist looks after the owner's or charter guests' children on board, keeping them safe, busy and happy so the family can relax and the crew can work around them.
- Department
- Specialist crew
- Reports to
- Captain
- Yacht size
- 50m to 150m+
- Contract
- Seasonal, trip based or permanent
- Starting pay
- €4,000 per month
What the job is
You are the person responsible for the children on board. That means their safety around water, tenders and open decks, their meals and sleep, and a day that keeps them interested. On some yachts you travel with the family year round, joining the boat for owner trips. On charter yachts you are booked for a programme when guests bring young children. Either way, the parents trust you with their children in a setting full of hazards most nannies never face.
A yacht is not a nursery. There are stairs, swim platforms, deck hardware, sharp corners and a crew moving heavy kit. You plan around that. You work with the bosun on when the water toys are safe for children, with the chef on menus and allergies, and with the chief stewardess on cabin set up, laundry and quiet hours. You keep life jackets fitted and ready, and you know the muster station for every child.
Expect long hours when the family is on board, often from breakfast to bedtime with a baby monitor overnight. Discretion matters as much as skill. You see the family at close quarters and keep it to yourself. When the family is off the boat you may help the interior team, prepare activities for the next trip or travel ashore with the children. Most hires have a recognised childcare qualification and years of private family work.
What makes a good one
- Water and deck safety awareness
- Age appropriate activity planning
- Calm handling of tired children
- Discretion with high profile families
- Clear communication with parents and crew
A day in the life
- 06:45Up before the children. Check the day's itinerary with the chief stewardess and confirm breakfast timings and any allergy notes with the galley.
- 07:30Wake, wash and dress two children aged four and seven. Breakfast in the crew mess or on the aft deck, depending on what the parents want.
- 09:00An hour of quiet learning in the cinema room: reading, a worksheet set by their school and a drawing of the fish they saw yesterday.
- 10:30Sun cream and fitted life jackets on, then swimming off the platform with a deckhand in the water. You stay within arm's reach of the younger child at all times.
- 12:30Lunch with the family on deck. You sit close by to manage plates and manners so the parents can talk to their guests.
- 13:30Rest time in the cabin for the four year old while the seven year old does a craft project in the sky lounge.
- 15:30Tender run to the beach with the parents. You pack the bag: water, snacks, spare clothes, hats, first aid kit and the children's medication.
- 18:00Early supper, bath and stories. Lights out by 19:30, monitor on, then a short handover to the parents on how the day went.
- 20:30Lay out tomorrow's clothes, sort the laundry bag for the stew team and plan activities around the next anchorage.
Pay by country
Monthly salary paid in EUR or USD for experienced childcare crew on 50m+ yachts, with food and accommodation on board. Rates rise with qualifications such as Norland training, languages and private family references. Charter tips are shared with the crew on charter yachts.
- France and Monaco
- €4,000 – 6,500
- Spain
- €4,000 – 6,500
- Italy
- €4,000 – 6,500
- United Kingdom
- £3,400 – 5,600
- USA (Florida)
- US$4,300 – 7,000
- Caribbean
- US$4,300 – 7,000
- UAE
- AED 16,000 – 26,000
- Australia
- A$6,800 – 11,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$7,500 – 12,000
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Paediatric First Aid
- Recognised childcare qualification (Level 3 or above)
- Enhanced background check (DBS or equivalent)
Recommended
- Norland Diploma
- Medical First Aid
- RLSS National Pool Lifeguard Qualification
- Food Safety Level 2
- PDSD
- A second language
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2 with C1/D
- Australian MCV
- Passport valid for at least 6 months
Where it leads
- Steward / Nanny
- Nanny
- Childcare Specialist
- Governess
Childcare Specialist jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to get hired?
Not always. Families care most about your childcare qualification and private family references, but you still need STCW and an ENG1 before joining. Some time as a Steward / Nanny helps you understand life on board.
Will I have to do interior work as well?
When the children are on board, childcare is your whole job. When the family is away, many yachts expect you to help the interior team, so ask at interview what the split is.
How much time off do I get during an owner trip?
Very little. Expect to be on duty most of the day with a monitor at night, then take time off when the family leaves the boat. Some larger families hire two childcare crew so each gets a break.