The study, by the University of Derby and the Pre-School Learning Alliance, shows that fathers feel intimidated by early years settings when they pick up and drop off their children. This is despite the alliance's efforts to engage with fathers in recent years.
Researchers carried out focus groups and interviews with more than 40 practitioners and fathers in the East Midlands. Fathers said the predominance of female staff in settings makes them feel uncomfortable, while practitioners often sensed this discomfort and struggled to engage with the fathers as a result.
Andrew Sanders, senior lecturer of early childhood studies at the University of Derby, said: "Practitioners know a lot about how to engage with parents, but for them parents tend to mean mums. They could benefit from opportunities to think about how they relate to dads as dads, and not just parents."
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