May 16, 2022
YQCA Requirement for State Shows
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national, multi‐species youth livestock quality assurance program that focuses on food safety, animal well‐being, and life skill development, through age‐appropriate educational curriculum for youth 7‐21 years of age. This program is an annual certification that grows with a young person, so the learning modules are different every year.
ALL exhibitors are required to be YQCA certified in order to participate in the 2022 Kansas State Fair Grand Drive and/or Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS). This includes youth who will be showing market animals, commercial breeding females, and/or registered purebred breeding females. Certificates must be valid through 10/2/22 to be accepted.
Families should contact their local extension office to see what course options are available in their local area. Certification needs to be completed at the time of nomination or the materials will be considered incomplete. The online system will prompt families to upload the certificate for each exhibitor when the first animal nomination in entered under their name. Both the YQCA certificate and family Declaration Form must be uploaded at the same time. Once submitted, families will not be able to add or edit either document.
The YQCA program transitioned to a new platform in late March of this year. All families will need to create a new account on www.yqcaprogram.org to register and complete trainings. Certificates will also be available to print and download from a family's online account, like they have previously. However, the program is no longer affiliated with 4HOnline, so all families must create a new account on the new platform.
Beginning in 2021, 7-year-olds who show at KJLS must be YQCA certified as well. They need to attend an instructor-led course with a parent or legal guardian. Those who need an online option should contact their local extension office or Lexie Hayes with the KSU Youth Livestock Program for details.