How Patients and Families Can Get Cleft Care Help Through Smile Train

Updated

Smile Train provides cleft treatment at no cost to its patients, and in many cases may also help with free transportation to and from its partner medical centers. To start, families should locate the nearest cleft team as soon as a baby is born with a cleft, then use Smile Train's patient resources to explore treatment options and find help. The sections below explain what the organization offers, how to navigate its patient and family resources, and what to expect along the way.

What Smile Train Provides for Patients and Families

Smile Train describes itself as the largest cleft-focused organization, working through a sustainability model: it provides training, funding, and resources to empower local medical professionals in 75+ countries to deliver 100%-free cleft surgery and other essential cleft care in their own communities.

For patients and families, the site states two concrete commitments:

  • Free treatment: Cleft treatment is 100% free for Smile Train patients.
  • Possible transportation support: In many cases, free transportation to and from partner medical centers may also be available.

Because the organization works through local partners rather than sending outside surgical teams, care is delivered close to where families live — a detail worth knowing when you are deciding where to seek treatment.

First Step: Find the Nearest Cleft Team

Smile Train's guidance for families is direct: when a baby is born with a cleft, the family should immediately locate the nearest cleft team to explore their best treatment options. Clefts can cause difficulties with eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking, so early contact with a care team matters.

In practice, this means:

  1. Identify a cleft team near you. Use Smile Train's patient and family resources to find care options in your area; the organization supports programs in 75+ countries.
  2. Contact the team early. Reach out as soon as possible after birth so the team can assess the baby and outline treatment options.
  3. Ask about costs and transport. Confirm that treatment will be provided free as a Smile Train patient, and ask whether transportation support to and from the partner medical center is available in your case.

Using the Patient and Family Resources

Smile Train states that it aims to support families worldwide by creating and sharing resources about cleft care. The site's patient section serves two purposes:

  • Understanding clefts: Plain-language information on what clefts are and how they can affect eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking.
  • Patient stories and resources: Firsthand accounts from patients and families, which can help new parents see what care journeys look like.

The site also publishes before-and-after images and latest stories from countries where it works — for example, a story on how clefts can affect mental health and the need for long-term, personalized care, and a patient story from Indonesia. These are useful for understanding the longer arc of cleft care beyond surgery alone.

For Medical Professionals and Partners

If you are a clinician rather than a family, the site has separate pathways:

  • Partner programs: Smile Train partners with local medical professionals united by the goal of helping children who have no place else to turn.
  • Training programs: Clinical training opportunities and resources in surgery, anesthesia, nursing, and comprehensive cleft care.
  • Grant programs: Funding for hundreds of partners and programs worldwide that help children receive treatment they could otherwise never afford.

What to Keep in Mind

  • Free means free for patients. The site explicitly states treatment is 100% free for Smile Train patients; transportation support is described as available "in many cases," so confirm it with your local partner rather than assuming it.
  • Care is local. Because Smile Train empowers local professionals, your point of contact is a partner medical center in your country, not the organization's headquarters.
  • Cleft care is more than surgery. The site frames treatment as comprehensive cleft care, addressing eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking — plan for ongoing follow-up, not a single procedure.

To get started, go to the Patients and Families section of smiletrain.org, read the "What Are Clefts?" and "Find Help" resources, and contact the nearest cleft team to discuss your child's treatment options.