March 16, 2023
YQCA Certification Information
Last March, Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) transitioned to a new platform, including a new website. With this change, the original website became inactive and the program is no longer connected to 4HOnline. It is imperative that everyone is using the appropriate link! The correct link is: https://yqcaprogram.org/. The old link (yqca.org) should be disregarded from all resources. Everyone is encouraged to utilize the YQCA tab on the K-State Youth Livestock Program website, as it is updated with the most recent information: https://www.asi.k-state.edu/extension/youth-programs/qualityassurance/qualityassurance.html.
Families who had already received their certification when the transition occurred last year will need to go to the new YQCA Website, create an account for their family, add children to the family, and sign up for their 2022-2023 training. There are several resources available to help guide them through the process, including step-by-step instructions. The YQCA staff also recently released instructional videos to help families correctly create their account and sign youth up for training. Through these videos, they also include common errors that make things more challenging for the families to complete the process. The videos are located at the bottom of the YQCA homepage.
All youth who plan to exhibit in the Kansas state Fair Grand Drive and/or KJLS should complete the training at their earliest convenience. It is required for all exhibitors at both state shows. This is an annual training. Those submitting state livestock nominations must have completed their certification at the time of nomination and submit a copy of their completion certificate. Instructor-led trainings are $3/child, while the web-based course is $12/child. Youth who are 12 or 15-years-old by January 1 are eligible to test out. Only those two ages have the option to test out, as it is the first year of each age division. For more information about YQCA certification, please contact your local extension office or Lexie Hayes at adhayes@ksu.edu.