The new strategy, Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare, calls on local authorities to prioritise accessible childcare and activities for five- to 14-year-olds.
But Anne Longfield, chief executive of children's charity 4Children, said: "There needs to be more intervention and proactive investment around older children."
Longfield welcomed the government's continued commitment to the early years, but also called for measures to address the lack of men in the childcare workforce. She said men will not join the profession of their own accord so "the government needs to lead and launch some kind of recruitment campaign."
Jane Haywood, chief executive of the Children's Workforce Development Council, said the strategy's commitment to get everyone in the early years workforce up to a Level 3 qualification was "realistic but challenging". She emphasised the importance of holding on to existing experience as well as focusing on recruitment.
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