What children learn between birth and age 5 depends on the experiences they have every day. Unfortunately, many parents think they don’t have the time or skills to help their children learn.

Tarrant County United Way is promoting Born Learning, a public engagement campaign designed to encourage early learning. Born Learning provides parents and other caregivers with practical tips that make it easy and fun to help young children learn during everyday activities such as sorting laundry and grocery shopping.

“United Way of Tarrant County is taking part in the Born Learning campaign because we want to do all we can to help parents and caregivers prepare young children to succeed in school,” said Tim Carter, Tarrant County United Way president and CEO. “Children are learning constantly, right from birth. We know those early years make a big difference in school readiness and success in life.”

Local Born Learning activities complement a nationwide Born Learning campaign that includes $30 million worth of television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard and transit ads; and $7 million worth of parent and caregiver education materials. A Web site for parents (www.bornlearning.org) contains information about each stage of a child’s development and practical tips on how children can learn at home, in public places and while traveling. The Web site, advertising and most of the materials have been produced in both English and Spanish.

Nationally, Born Learning is sponsored by a partnership of United Way of America, United Way Success By 6, the Ad Council and Civitas, the Chicago-based nonprofit that uses the latest research in early childhood development to produce practical tools that help adults nurture young children. Civitas has developed Born Learning educational materials such as the “Kid Basics” key ring. The key ring holds cards that use everyday language to focus on well child check-ups, connection with your child, child care, sleep, play, dads, discipline, feeding and literacy.

Local Born Learning partners besides Tarrant County United Way are the Arlington Child Care Council, Cook Children’s Medical Center, Early Childhood Matters Fort Worth and Workforce Solutions. Born Learning campaign “champions” are Fort Worth community activist Nancy Bryant and her husband, Vernon, president and CEO of TexasBank.