This paper investigates whether children’s political success contributes to social stratification and health inequality among older adults. Using China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data, we investigate whether having a cadre (i.e., politically employed) child substantially increases overall cognitive functioning among older adults. We find that the beneficial effect of having a cadre child on cognitive functioning is equivalent to a 1.5-year increase in education, even after controlling for other variables related to general intelligence. This positive effect is more salient among parents of higher-ranking cadre children, and more salient in less-marketized regions. The results of a Sobel test suggest that about one-fifth of the effect can be explained by the channel of increased social interaction.