The Fort Dodge City Council will consider applying for a $600,000 state grant for a new child care center when it meets tonight.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.

It will consider an application for a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant to support the creation of Sprouts Early Education and Development School in a former Becker Florists building at 407 Kenyon Road.

Earlier this month, the council approved a $750,000 loan from a local economic development revolving loan fund to support the creation of the school.

Child care remains a pressing need in Fort Dodge and Webster County, where the number of children needing day care outnumbers the available openings by a wide margin.

Also tonight, the council will consider hiring a company to do a study of the former Sacred Heart Church as the first step to preparing a new future for the building.

A proposal has been received from RDG Planning and Design Inc., of Des Moines, that would cost about $26,000. The city government has a roughly $17,000 grant to help pay for it.