Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance programs are a great way to ensure our youth producers are creating a product we can be proud to consume. Any Indiana youth wishing to exhibit an animal at a county or state fair must have completed a Quality Assurance Certification. Youth have the option to complete an in-person Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care Course OR an online Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) Course. County and State Fair will accept both of these options.
This requirement is set for youth exhibiting, Swine, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Rabbits, and Poultry.
THE REQUIREMENTS:
Certification is a requirement (and it is very good practice) for youth planning to exhibit an animal (Swine, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Rabbits, and Poultry) in the Orange County 4-H Fair (all other county fairs), the Indiana State Fair, and some open shows. You can check out handbook at “General Livestock Rules” for the most up to date details.
This requirement should not be viewed as just another rule, but rather as an important educational opportunity for 4-H livestock members. Making this an exhibition rule is how we are ensuring that 4-H members learn about quality assurance, but it really has nothing to do with animal exhibition. The real reason we are requiring this is so youth learn the best management practices with their animals. The goals of having 4-H members complete a quality assurance program include ensuring that youth will be more prepared to be ambassadors for animal agriculture in their role as youth livestock exhibitors; that animals from youth livestock programs are treated with the utmost care, and 4-H members are contributing to a safe, wholesome food supply.
How To Get Certified:
ONLINE- YQCA
- Cost: $12
- Timing: Youth can complete the course at their convenience online at any point.
- How to register: Go to http://yqcaprogram.org and create a new account. (Write down your login information as you will need it again.)
- Need help with registration? Find the Help document here.
IN-PERSON- Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care
- Cost: $3
- Timing: Youth must attend one of the classes hosted by an instructor:
- How to register: Go to https://v2.4honline.com. Log into your profile, click events on the left side, click the blue “register for a new event”, and find out event in the list.
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- Need help with registration? Find the Help document here.
What is Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care?
Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care training was developed with Indiana 4-Hers in mind. This program is a grassroots initiative formulated and facilitated by Purdue Extension, the Purdue Animal Science Department, and industry affiliates. The goal of the Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care program is to help youth understand their responsibility in increasing consumer confidence, animal stewardship, and overall gaining and applying pertinent information and credibility, relating to food systems.
Youth can complete this annual certification through in-person sessions at a cost of $3 (cash or check). Youth will register through their 4HOnline profile under events.
To register for the Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care program, please use https://v2.4honline.com. Members must be registered BEFORE attending a training.
WHAT IS YQCA?
The Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Program (YQCA) is a national quality assurance program for youth ages 8 to 21 with a focus on three core pillars: food safety, animal well-being, and character development.
YQCA is available as an online program. Youth may complete the training online (http://yqcaprogram.org/) at a cost of $12.
Those unable to attend an in-person training do have the option to do the online Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training. Online YQCA certifications are accepted in lieu of the in-person Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care program but youth must e-mail Amie Wilson (wils1379@purdue.edu) a copy of their YQCA certificate to prove completion. Visit www.yqcaprogram.org to complete the online YQCA training.
Frequently Asked Questions-FAQ
No, this is for 4-H members in grades 3-12.
You must complete your certification prior to checking in your animal at the Orange County 4-H Fair.
You only need to complete the certification once per year, and that will apply to each of your animals.
It is approximately one hour and fifteen to thirty minutes.
Yes, if our schedule does not work for you, you can attend a class in any other county.
As soon as possible! Space is limited in each class, and we recommend registering at least a week prior to the class being offered.
- You MUST register for a class before attending.
In most instances, your certification is valid for one year.
This is not an auction requirement, it is an exhibit requirement, so to show your animal, you must complete the certification.
Yes, as of 2019 this is an option through the YQCA online course, but there are multiple requirements you must meet:
- You can only complete a multi year certification online, not at an in-person class.
- You can only complete a multi-year certification your first year in the intermediate or senior age divisions. If you do not obtain it in your first year as an intermediate (age 12) or senior(age 15), you must continue to complete annual certification until you get to the next age division.
- If you do not pass the test on the first attempt, you must complete the annual certification and will need to do so until you are eligible to attempt a multi-year certification again (when you enter a new age division). The test consists of 50 questions and requires a pass rate of 80% or better.
- The cost for the multi-year certification will only be charged after you have successfully passed the test. If you do not pass, you will not be charged, and you will need to take the annual training. The cost for the intermediate test-out course is $36 ($12 x 3 years of certification) and the cost for the senior test-out course is $48 ($12 x 4 years of certification). Once passed, the member will gain access to all of the online modules that correspond to the age levels in which they are now certified.