Secwépemc Child and Family Services Agency

Based in Kamloops, B.C., the Secwépemc Child and Family Services Agency (SCFSA) has a mission of protecting the rights of Aboriginal children, ensuring their safety, and maintaining their connection to family, culture, and community. Part of that mission entails delivering payments to clients, which, during the pandemic, would be difficult without Telpay, says the SCFSA’s finance administrator, Cindy Carusi.

Payments in a Pandemic

The SCFSA provides a full range of child protection services on behalf of seven bands in the Secwépemc First Nation. That can mean a lot of small payments to clients, says Cindy.

“Without Telpay, there would be a large increase in mailed letters and clients coming to the office to pick up cheques,” she adds.

That wouldn’t be ideal during the pandemic, when health officials are imploring everyone to stay home and stay at least two metres apart.

It also wouldn’t be ideal for the SCFSA’s manager and board member to be in the office to approve those payments.

Safe & Secure Payments

Luckily, the SCFSA began using Telpay in 2014, and though Cindy says they continue to transition to electronic payments, the Telpay team has been “amazing” whenever challenges come up.

“Telpay has also given me peace of mind during the pandemic knowing that families and children in need can be assisted with a few clicks,” says Cindy.

Plus, she adds, Telpay easily integrates with their accounting software, Adagio, and it solves that problem that some systems have of needing in-person payment approvals.

“Even though the approvers are working in outlying communities, travelling, and in meetings off-site, the approvals can be sent by smartphone or computer by simply clicking on ‘approve’ in their email,” says Cindy.

 

 

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