CLAPA is a UK voluntary organisation providing help and support to those affected by cleft lip and palate.
CLAPA was established in 1979 as a partnership between parents and health professionals.
Clapa’s key functions are to:
- Organise local parent-to-parent support through its nation-wide network
- Run a specialist service for parents and health professionals seeking help feeding babies with clefts
- Develop support for children and adolescents affected by clefts at school and in social settings through such activities as confidence-building camps
- Encourage and support research into causes and treatment of cleft lip and palate
- Represent the interests of patients and parents, influencing policy on future treatment of cleft lip and palate
- Conduct educational seminars for health professionals and the general public
- Raise funds in the community for equipment, literature and services
- Publish and distribute a range of information leaflets, increasing public awareness of the condition
- Support projects in countries where cleft treatment is limited or unavailable