Craniofacial defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common of all birth defects in the United States, with one in every 600 newborns affected. Cleft lip and/or palate can occur as an isolated condition or may be one component of an inherited disease or syndrome. Dealing with the condition is an extremely difficult and stressful experience for families, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates the lifetime cost of treating the children born each year with cleft lip or cleft palate to be as high as $697 million. However, with continued research, products, and support organizations, children are receiving valuable and effective treatment and recovering successfully. In this article, the author describes these two craniofacial defects and their treatment; provides a list of specialists who may work together, and with the family, to create and update the child's healthcare plan; and discusses the Cleft Palate Foundation, the non-profit organization that provides support to individuals affected by these and other facial birth defects.