Spain is facing rising levels of child poverty as its economic recovery fails to bridge a growing gulf between rich and poor, storing up problems for an already-strained social security system.
While the country has emerged from recession and become one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe, more than one in three children - or 2.6 million - are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, EU figures show.
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The figure, which is 10 percentage points above the euro zone average, has risen sharply from 31.9 percent in 2013, when the economy emerged from over five years of downturn.
A key cause of child poverty is the high number of people jobless for more than two years - which stands at nine times the level seen in 2008 in a country where the job seekers' welfare benefit ends after around 18 months.
Murcia, known for its golf resorts, was gripped by construction fever during the boom years and the 2008 property crash left many without work or qualifications, said Victor Martinez, the regional People's Party spokesman.
"The recovery is real, our country is coming out of crisis. But that recovery is taking a long time to reach individuals and firms."
In Puente Tocinos, Catholic charity Caritas has set up one of many programmes around the country supporting children with academic and psychological help in the hope of improving their chances in life.
Around 35 children aged six to 12 gathered around tables to finish their homework before taking a snack of a tuna roll and fruit juice into the square outside for a break.
Priest Jose Antonio Cano, who oversees the programme, said most were children from ordinary families that had been hit hard by the recession.
"We realised that if we didn't help them with their education, the cycle would just repeat itself."