The mission of Civic Parent is to help leaders follow the public money, learn the nuance, and grow more empowered to engage in local community.
How It Started
Civic Parent began in 2013 as a small personal project, a way to make sense of local budgets, property taxes, and the systems shaping the city where I was raising my children. My initial goal was to write explainers in 1000 words or less that could be read on a coffee break or while kids were down for their nap. My audience, I assumed, were friends and neighbors who I met at the park on playdates.
At the time, I was an inactive CPA and new at-home mom with two young kids; I was curious about how decisions around taxes and school funding affected my family and our community. I channeled my professional skillset into civics and quickly learned that what I had tapped into was more than a personal curiosity; it was a public need. I also learned that what I was writing about was a small part of a much bigger landscape that I was new to. I took the opportunity to meet those who read my blog and learn from them, and I continue to learn by meeting in real life and listening.
Where it went
In 2018 Jersey City faced two big challenges: the first citywide revaluation in 30 years and the start of systematic state education aid cuts. I researched, wrote about, and engaged both topics in community through civic workshops and teaching sessions.
What I have learned over the years is: when people understand how their local government collects and spends money, they can ask better questions, participate more fully, and build more trust in public life. Numbers tell stories...about priorities, choices, and values. But too often, those stories stay hidden in spreadsheets and budget PDFs. Numbers should be embraced, not avoided or ignored.
Today Civic Parent remains as just one way I engage in civics and stay engaged in my community.
Civic Parent Today
Transparency has always been central to Civic Parent. That commitment extends not only to how public finance is explained, but also to how I represent myself on this website.
Civic Parent now operates within Harborstead Advisory LLC as a free public-facing fiscal literacy platform. Harborstead Advisory is my consulting firm, where I provide structured advisory services. Civic Parent itself remains focused on civic education and public understanding and remains a free, public-facing fiscal literacy platform.
Contact & Engagement
Community Leaders
Civic Parent exists to support leaders who are working to strengthen civic understanding within their own communities. If you are a leader within a neighborhood association, civic group, faith community, school community, or other community-based organization interested in hosting a workshop or exploring civic education for your group, you are welcome to email hello@civicparent.org. Due to the depth and complexity of local budget and policy issues, Civic Parent does not provide individualized responses to one-off or exploratory budget questions by email.
Candidates, Public Officials & Advisory Inquiries
If you are a candidate for office, elected official, public administrator, or other decision-maker seeking advisory support beyond the general educational content provided here, please visit Harborstead Advisory's website to learn more about my services. Professional advisory engagements are conducted exclusively through Harborstead Advisory LLC and are distinct from Civic Parent’s role as a public education platform.
Thank you for your interest in Civic Parent.
Brigid D'Souza, CPA, MBA
Civic Parent content remains free and is generalized in scope to help educate the public as a fiscal literacy blog with premium data visualizations and insights. Check out an important disclaimer here for more details.
