This is according to the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu. In a written parliamentary reply to the DA, Zulu says 230 social workers have received special training to handle adoption services and there will be no training for more social workers. 

She further explains five senior social workers in the province were particularly trained on the rendering of adoption services - one per district - and that the same officials have also registered and got the necessary accreditation.

"Due to the relatively low number of adoption applications received annually (25 to 30), and the fact that Child Welfare South Africa is also accredited to provide these services in the Northern Cape, there is no need for more social workers to specialise in this field at the moment," she highlighted.

She adds the special training of social workers to handle adoption services was to the tune of approximately R800 000 and was paid for by the National Social Development Department.

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