Cleft lip and/or palate includes a spectrum of congenital disorders affecting union on the lip, alveolus, hard and/or soft palate. The management of children born with an orofacial cleft requires a complex process from a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to restore form and function. Since the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) report in 1998, the UK has reformed and restructured cleft services to improve the outcomes for children born with a cleft.The spectrum of cleft conditions, the members of the MDT and a chronological description of the stages of cleft management from diagnosis to adulthood are described using a clinical example. This paper forms the introduction to a series of more detailed papers which span all major aspects of cleft management. The papers will cover the following topics: dental anomalies; associated medical conditions among children; orthodontic management of patients; speech assessment and intervention; role of the clinical psychologist; challenges for the paediatric dentist; genetics and orofacial clefts; surgery - primary and secondary; restorative dentistry; and global perspectives.