diff --git a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepInput.java b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepInput.java
index 54dd59ed..712e1335 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepInput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/actions/processes/RunBackendStepInput.java
@@ -341,9 +341,9 @@ public class RunBackendStepInput extends AbstractActionInput
     ** Getter for a single field's date value
     **
     *******************************************************************************/
-   public LocalDate getValueDate(String fieldName)
+   public LocalDate getValueLocalDate(String fieldName)
    {
-      return ((LocalDate) getValue(fieldName));
+      return (ValueUtils.getValueAsLocalDate(getValue(fieldName)));
    }
 
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/data/QRecord.java b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/data/QRecord.java
index 8ccd91a6..3f3a7f1f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/data/QRecord.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/model/data/QRecord.java
@@ -280,13 +280,11 @@ public class QRecord implements Serializable
 
 
    /*******************************************************************************
-    ** Getter for a single field's value
     **
     *******************************************************************************/
-   public LocalDate getValueDate(String fieldName)
+   public LocalDate getValueLocalDate(String fieldName)
    {
-      // todo - rewrite using ValueUtils...
-      return ((LocalDate) values.get(fieldName));
+      return (ValueUtils.getValueAsLocalDate(values.get(fieldName)));
    }
 
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ValueUtils.java b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ValueUtils.java
index cc48920c..2b529349 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ValueUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/utils/ValueUtils.java
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils;
 
 
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
+import java.time.LocalDate;
+import java.time.LocalDateTime;
+import java.time.ZoneId;
+import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
+import java.util.Calendar;
+import java.util.TimeZone;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.exceptions.QValueException;
 
 
@@ -31,6 +37,9 @@ import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.exceptions.QValueException;
  *******************************************************************************/
 public class ValueUtils
 {
+   private static final DateTimeFormatter localDateDefaultFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MMM-dd");
+
+
 
    /*******************************************************************************
     ** Type-safely make a String from any Object.
@@ -176,6 +185,59 @@ public class ValueUtils
 
 
 
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Type-safely make a LocalDate from any Object.
+    ** null and empty-string inputs return null.
+    ** We may throw if the input can't be converted to a LocalDate
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public static LocalDate getValueAsLocalDate(Object value) throws QValueException
+   {
+      try
+      {
+         if(value == null)
+         {
+            return (null);
+         }
+         else if(value instanceof java.sql.Date d)
+         {
+            return d.toLocalDate();
+         }
+         else if(value instanceof java.util.Date d)
+         {
+            return d.toInstant().atZone(ZoneId.systemDefault()).toLocalDate();
+         }
+         else if(value instanceof Calendar c)
+         {
+            TimeZone tz = c.getTimeZone();
+            ZoneId zid = (tz == null) ? ZoneId.systemDefault() : tz.toZoneId();
+            return LocalDateTime.ofInstant(c.toInstant(), zid).toLocalDate();
+         }
+         else if(value instanceof LocalDateTime ldt)
+         {
+            return ldt.toLocalDate();
+         }
+         else if(value instanceof String s)
+         {
+            if(!StringUtils.hasContent(s))
+            {
+               return (null);
+            }
+
+            return LocalDate.parse(s, localDateDefaultFormatter);
+         }
+         else
+         {
+            throw (new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported class " + value.getClass().getName() + " for converting to BigDecimal."));
+         }
+      }
+      catch(Exception e)
+      {
+         throw (new QValueException("Value [" + value + "] could not be converted to an BigDecimal.", e));
+      }
+   }
+
+
+
    /*******************************************************************************
     ** Type-safely make a BigDecimal from any Object.
     ** null and empty-string inputs return null.
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/person/addtopeoplesage/GetAgeStatistics.java b/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/person/addtopeoplesage/GetAgeStatistics.java
index 9ee26dad..9ea8a06c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/person/addtopeoplesage/GetAgeStatistics.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/processes/person/addtopeoplesage/GetAgeStatistics.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public class GetAgeStatistics implements BackendStep
       LocalDate now = LocalDate.now();
       for(QRecord record : runBackendStepInput.getRecords())
       {
-         LocalDate birthDate = record.getValueDate("birthDate");
+         LocalDate birthDate = record.getValueLocalDate("birthDate");
          Period until = birthDate.until(now);
          int age = until.getYears();
          record.setValue("age", age);