We examine the long-run health outcomes of children affected by a reform which led to a large scale expansion of subsidized universal child care for children 3 to 6-year-old in Norway in the late 1970s. Using administrative population data and exploiting variation in the implementation across municipalities over time, we find that cohorts with increased child care access have lower certified sickness absence from work, as well as fewer GP consultations related to different illnesses, such as respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular illnesses. However, we find that cohorts with increased access to child care have more GP consultations related to psychological symptoms, and overweight.