ACPA and the Cleft Palate Foundation (CPF) merged in 2017 to better achieve their common mission: to optimize outcomes for individuals with oral cleft and craniofacial conditions through education, support, research, advocacy and interdisciplinary team care. Professionals and families are now working more closely together to build cleft and craniofacial awareness and improve care. After the merger, CPF’s patient and family programs have continued under the ACPA Family Services program. ACPA Family Services is dedicated to providing comprehensive resources and individualized support. Education is the center of ACPA Family Services, and family-centered team care is the goal for every patient.

CPA’s Annual Meeting is a general scientific meeting with over 300 presentations. The program includes general and concurrent specialty sessions, poster sessions, panel presentations, and short courses including eye openers, study sessions, and advanced courses. ACPA provides continuing medical, speech, and nursing education through ACCME, ASHA, and ANCC. The meeting also includes networking opportunities such as discipline forums, special interest groups, and social events.

ACPA’s mission is to optimize team care for patients, and the ACPA Team Approval process plays a major part in ensuring this mission becomes a reality. Cleft and craniofacial teams from the US and Canada can apply to be recognized as an ACPA Approved Team. This distinction is for teams that demonstrate they meet the Standards for Approval of Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Teams – standards that identify essential characteristics of quality for team composition and functioning. The standards are based off The Parameters for Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Cleft Lip/Palate or Other Craniofacial Anomalies, which identify recommended practices for the care of patients. Teams are comprised of experienced and qualified professionals from medical, surgical, dental, and allied health disciplines working in an interdisciplinary and coordinated system. The purpose and goal of ACPA Team Approval is to ensure that care is provided in a coordinated and consistent manner with the proper sequencing of evaluations and treatments within the framework of the patient’s overall developmental, medical and psychological needs. The approval process helps teams ensure that they meet all the needs of their patients. ACPA Approved Teams are listed on the website and are the only teams ACPA recommends when working with patients and families. Although ACPA Team Approval does not extend beyond teams outside of the U.S. and Canada, the website also lists teams from around the world as a resource for patients and families. Find out about international treatment programs providing cleft care to different regions of the world.

ACPA strives to enhance and expand educational opportunities for professionals so that they can provide the best possible care to patients. ACPA also offers educational materials about cleft and craniofacial care, specifically for affected individuals and families.

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, a bi-monthly international journal on craniofacial differences, is the official publication of ACPA. The journal draws from around the world for its interdisciplinary approach to growth, development, diagnosis, and treatment — the provision of optimal clinical services — in all areas pertaining to craniofacial differences. In addition, it explores and reports on the study and treatment, including experimental and proven surgical procedures, of cleft lip, cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies. It also keeps readers in touch with the latest research in related laboratory sciences. To access The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, visit www.cpcjournal.org. ACPA Members receive a subscription to the Journal as part of their member benefits. View individual subscription prices without ACPA Membership or Join ACPA.