This study explores how school-age educare (SAEC) in Sweden can make a difference for children living in areas with socioeconomic challenges. The Swedish school-age educare offers education and care for children aged 6-12 years old, before and after school. The mission of the SAEC is to complement school teaching and compensate for children’s living conditions. A central point of departure for this study is that the location of an SAEC program matters, as where children live and where the school-age educare centers are situated impact children’s life conditions and their prerequisites for succeeding in school (Lindbäck, 2021; Valizadeh, 2023). The study is theoretically grounded in Biesta’s concepts subjectification and qualification, which are used as aspects of education. According to Biesta (2009), education impacts on processes of subjectification – discourses of becoming a subject. The qualification discourse of education involves providing children with the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to cope with future education, enabling them to act effectively in the world (Biesta, 2022). The aim of this study is to explore how SAEC adapts to the local circumstances and individual needs of pupils living in areas with socioeconomic challenges and how SAEC can contribute to promote pupils’ continued learning and knowledge development for further education and life. The following research question guides the study: What claims are made about the SAEC contribution to pupils in terms of subjectification and qualification?Data consist of 13 interviews with school leaders working in schools in socioeconomic vulnerable areas, neighborhoods at risk, and particularly exposed zones identified by the Swedish Police. Qualitative content analysis was applied. Three categories emerged regarding the claims made about children: the child in need, the child at risk and the child with pluricultural experiences. Four aspects were identified regarding how SAEC can contribute to qualifying children for further education: by supporting the development of their self-esteem, by nourishing the development of soft skills, by supporting children’s language skills, and by designing activities that broaden their knowledge of the surrounding society. Moreover, two aspects were identified regarding how SAEC can contribute to children’s qualification for life: broadening children’s horizons and instilling a belief in the future. Thus, this study contributes with nuanced descriptions of how the SAEC can compensate and make a difference in children’s life conditions. The SAEC can also provide children with the prerequisites for succeeding in school. Considering the increasing socioeconomic disparities in Swedish society, the SAEC´s compensatory work may become even more important in the future. Another conclusion is that SAEC centers are important spaces for care and supervision, where children's basic needs are met. Hence, in areas with socioeconomic challenges, the SAEC’s mission to compensate appears to be prioritized over its mission to teach.