House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Adds a new provision charging the Community Colleges System Office (Office) with verifying the content of the child care workforce academies in the pilot program to assure accreditation requirements are met. Specifies that the proposed operating hours of the academies are to assure that the equivalent instructional hours for either EDU 119 or EDU 3119 are met enabling graduates to be credentialed as a lead teacher in child care. Specifies that the directive to offer the academy up to three times per year applies to Smart Start Local Partnerships in addition to community colleges. Eliminates the provisions authorizing academies to offer stipends for completing the course and stipends for an additional stipend after completing one year of employment as a lead teacher in a NC licensed child care program. 

Eliminates the proposed appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education to be allocated to North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) to provide the State match for implementing the pilot program. Instead, conditions the effect of the act upon the appropriation of funds to the Division to be allocated to NCPC for one or both fiscal years of 2025-27 for the purpose of developing and implementing the pilot program. Conditioned upon the appropriation of those funds, allows a local partnership to provide each graduate with a one-time stipend of up to $150 for completing the course, and deems students eligible for an additional $500 stipend after completing one year of employment as a lead teach in a NC licensed child care program. 

Makes technical changes and corrections. Changes the act's effective date to the date the act becomes law (was, July 1, 2025). Changes the act's titles.