As part of the Michigan State University 2025 Spring Heifer Academy webinar series, participants were treated to an insightful capstone session on the Calf Care Quality Assurance (CCQA) Program. Emma Mulvaney, director of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Programs, and Cindy Valdez Nolasco, associate director of producer education with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), walked through the why, how and impact of the CCQA program.
This program is a collaborative, science-based effort that addresses care, consistency and confidence in calf raising practices across both beef and dairy industries. It is designed to improve calf health and care through education and standardized training.
At the heart of the CCQA program lies public trust. Market research consistently shows that animal welfare is the number-one concern among consumers when it comes to meat and dairy products. Consumers want to know animals were raised ethically, with ample food, clean water, room to move and kindness – values shared by responsible producers everywhere.
The creation of the program is the result of a partnership between major programs like BQA, the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association and others. First launched in 2019, it fills a vital gap by providing guidelines and tools specifically for the care and raising of young calves and heifers – a stage not fully covered by existing quality assurance programs. Where FARM handles dairy audits and BQA focuses more on beef production, CCQA bridges the space between, addressing calf-specific care in a consistent, educational and accessible way.
Anyone involved in calf care, such as calf feeders, managers, technical support staff, veterinarians and others, can become CCQA certified through a self-paced online or in-person training, followed by a 20-question test. Certification is valid for three years and helps standardize training across farms, regions and languages.
The program includes a comprehensive manual and training modules (available in English and Spanish) that walk caretakers through everything from biosecurity to behavior. Key focus areas include:
• Calf health – emphasizing herd health plans, proper medication use, biosecurity and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Management and care – covering hygiene, nutrition, injury prevention and environmental enrichment.
• Animal handling and stockmanship – training staff in low-stress handling based on natural calf behavior.
• Employee training and emergency preparedness – ensuring every person on the farm, regardless of background, has the knowledge and tools to care for calves
confidently and competently.
For those interested in going a step further, CCQA offers an instructor training program. Ideal for veterinarians, extension agents, consultants and farm managers, becoming a certified instructor means you can train others, host community events and serve as a trusted local resource.
One of the standout benefits of CCQA is that it’s completely free, thanks to funding from the Beef Checkoff. Resources include downloadable protocols, training guides and fill-in-the-blank standard operating procedures that farms can tailor to their specific practices. It’s a win-win: Operations get structured onboarding tools, and employees gain understanding, confidence and ownership of their roles.
Mulvaney and Valdez Nolasco shared that many large calf operations are already using CCQA as their go-to training tool for new hires. It not only improves day-to-day practices but also builds employee engagement and retention.
The CCQA program brings together everything shared during the Heifer Academy series, from health and handling to training and transport. It’s not just a checklist; it’s a mindset and a message that we care about our calves and we’re proud to prove it. For those interested in learning more, getting certified or becoming an instructor, whether a calf raiser, educator or employee looking to grow, visit www.calfcareqa.org.
