All team applicants must submit a US$375 non-refundable application fee. Payment may be submitted by check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. If a team is approved, this fee will count as the team’s first year listing fee. Team fees cover the administration of the ACPA Team Approval program.

View the Team Approval Process and the ACPA Team Approval Procedures Manual for more information.

Team Approval Resources

For guidance on completing the Team Application, review the 2025 Sample Application. Please note that this document is read-only and all applications must be completed online.

Those attending ACPA’s Annual Meeting are encouraged to attend the Team Approval Information Study Session on Thursday, May 8 at 12:45 PM. A Team Approval webinar will also be held on Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30 PM EDT. Click to register for the free webinar.

Please refer to the ACPA Team Approval FAQ for more information. For questions, email teams@acpacares.org.

Application Instructions

  • When preparing the application, teams should refer to the Standards for Cleft and Craniofacial Teams and The Parameters for Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Cleft Lip/Palate or Other Craniofacial Differences.
  • Only completed applications will be accepted and reviewed. Each essay response has a maximum of 500 words. All items are required.
  • Read all questions in their entirety before responding. Applications that do not fully answer each question may not be approved.
  • When responding to essay questions, be sure all responses are in English with proper grammar and spelling. Be sure to use patient-first language.
  • Completing the application should be a team effort. Please be sure that the team coordinator, team leader, and core specialties (surgery, speech-language pathology, orthodontics) review the application before submitting.
  • It is important that you select the correct option under “Application Type” of the first task (Cleft Palate Team, Craniofacial Team, or Cross-Specialty Team). The Commission will only review the team for the application type it has selected.
  • It is recommended that you download a copy of the entire submission and keep it on file.

HIPAA Compliance

Please note that HIPAA requires applying teams to remove all patient identifying information from the application, a process HIPAA calls de-identification.  Identifying information for patients, relatives, and household members includes, but is not limited to the following:

  • Names
  • Geographic subdivisions smaller than a state (city, school, mailing address, etc)
  • Telephone and Fax numbers
  • Email addresses
  • All birth dates, death dates, admission dates, and discharge dates. The year should remain unredacted.
  • Full face photographs
  • Social security numbers
  • Medical record numbers
  • Account numbers
  • Any other unique numbers, codes, or characteristics that can be linked to an individual

Applications containing any patient identifying information will be returned for redactions.  If an application is returned a second time, an additional $125.00 fee will be due upon re-submission.