Although the positive effects of early childhood education care are gradually being recognized, formal enrollment of children under the age of 6 is still limited, and evidence of long-term effects has not been widely examined in China. Using a nationally representative dataset from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study examines the long-term effects of early childhood education and care (ecec) attendance in China on an adult sample over 18-year-olds. The results based on propensity score matching (PSM) analysis suggest that the experience of early childhood education and care enhances cognitive and noncognitive skills in adulthood. Evidence also shows that disadvantaged groups, such as females, those with lower parental education levels, and rural and remote residents, have larger benefits from attending early childhood education and care. Non-only children in China may also gain a wider range of benefits from ecec attendance. No evidence suggests superior personal income or intelligence. The results confirm the importance of ensuring access to early childhood education and care for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Policy implications are discussed and summarized at the end of the paper.