About us

The Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) is the only national charity supporting people and families affected by cleft lip and/or palate in the UK. Our vision is a world where having a cleft is no barrier to achieving your desires and ambitions.

CLAPA was set up in 1979 as a partnership between parents and health professionals, and this remains a core value of ours. The charity works to provide non-medical services which complement the medical care provided by the specialist NHS Cleft Teams, and aims to support people with cleft and their families from infancy through to adulthood.

CLAPA’s National Office is based in London with a network of volunteer-run Branches and groups all across the UK.

CLAPA’s main functions are:

• Working to improve cleft care in the UK by representing the needs of people affected by cleft
• Creating a UK-wide ‘cleft community’ of people with and affected by the condition to provide mutual support
• Providing specialist bottles and teats for babies with a cleft to parents, carers and health professionals
• Training volunteer Parent and Peer Contacts to provide one-on-one support to others in need
• Developing support for children and young people with a cleft at school and in social settings through a range of activities such as confidence-building Residential Weekends
• Encouraging and supporting research into the causes and treatment of cleft lip and palate
• Producing and distributing a range of unique information leaflets
• Raising awareness of cleft amongst the general public and fundraising in the community

CLAPA aims to improve the quality of life for all those born with a cleft and their families by involving our membership, supporting parents and patients, and improving the standards of care throughout all of the UK.

Read more about our history

Find out more about what we do