According to a First Children’s Finance report completed in 2016, an estimated 3,239 children ages 0-12 living in Fort Dodge need some form of child care while their parents are working. But there are only 1,601 year-round child care spaces.

It’s an issue Barb Kozisek, principal at St. Paul Lutheran School, recognizes.

That’s why Kozisek and other leaders at St. Paul are planning to open a day care at the church, 1217 Fourth Ave. S.

Day care was discussed at a recent meeting with community leaders, she said.

“The Presbyterian Church has a waiting list and they had a meeting with a bunch of different people about the huge need for day care in Fort Dodge,” Kozisek said.

The church has identified a spacious area in the basement as a possibility for the day care.

“We have a huge space there and the church had been looking at ways to use that space,” Kozisek said.

The day care would be open to any child in the community who wishes to enroll their child, she said.

According to Kozisek, 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds would be part of the program.

“If we can put a 2-year-old program in as well, that’s where we are heading,” Kozisek said. “So trying to fulfill the need of people of Fort Dodge.”

Kozisek said the goal is to open the day care in the fall of 2019.

Until then, the church will be work on getting approvals from building and fire inspectors.

Kozisek said the biggest challenge will be letting people know that the service is available.

“Getting the word out that we will have day care for the young kids because there is a huge need in Fort Dodge for that,” she said.

Kozisek, of Garner, is in her first year as principal at the school. Last year, the school didn’t have one. Prior to that, Julie Mann was principal for about three years.

Kozisek began her duties in July.

“The Lord kind of put me here,” Kozisek said. “I wasn’t seeking to come.”

St. Paul enrolls about 114 students in its school, many of whom are not affiliated with the church, Kozisek said.

Prior to working in Fort Dodge, Kozisek was the school counselor at Belmond-Klemme for grades seven through 12.

She was in that role for five years and before that worked as an educator in southern Indiana for several years.

It’s her first time working at a private school.

So far, she is enjoying the change.

“It’s nice to be here and get to share Jesus with the kids,” Kozisek said.

She said what attracted her to education in the first place was when she discovered a talent for leading others.

“I worked in retail management,” she said. “I enjoyed training employees. So I went back to school for education.”

She taught family and consumer science.

At St. Paul, her goal is to create new opportunities for kids.

In particular, she would like to bring a science, technology, engineering, and math room to the school.

To accomplish that, she said donations would be needed.

In terms of what gives her the most joy, she said it’s seeing kids happy.

“The love of the kids,” Kozisek said. “They will come up to you and give you hugs. They are happy, excited. So it makes my job really easy. We have very low incidents of bullying. I think it’s kids sometimes being kids, but we definitely try to minimize it. We work on treating others as we would want someone to treat us.”