hm2anderson,
I can't help you with #1, but I'll try to help you with the rest. We've heard that the magic number for qualifying for a 3 bedroom with 1 child is over 7 years and even then, it depends on what they have open. Housing seems to have a lot of availability right now. You should call them... their # is 850-623-9726, they are open from 0730-1600 (not sure about weekend hours) email
whiting_field@housing.navy.mil. If you want to look at the housing floorplans or see some pictures, go to
https://www.housing.navy.mil/onestop/main.htm and look up Whiting Field NAS.
As for CDC, I know there is one at Whiting Field (just past the front gate to the left)... here is their info:
http://www.naspensacola.navy.mil/mwr/whiting/cdc.htm Hours: Mon-Fri 0600-1800, phone # 623-7472. I found this info for NAS Pensacola Child Development Center: Phone: 850-452-6568/6806/6310.
My husband and I live in Whiting Pines and really like it here. The housing is a little small, but we're happy with it. We see ads by the mailboxes a lot for childcare. It seems like quite a few wives in the neighborhood watch children for a great price, so that might be worth checking out if you end up living here. I have a friend that watches one child during the week and she's amazing. She has a developmental psychology degree and is great with kids. If you'd like her info, let me know.
There are several colleges in the area, but the one closest to Whiting is Pensacola Junior College, located off of Hwy 90 & Avalon. They offer a RN-AS (Associate's degree in nursing). Here is a link to that program:
http://www.pjc.edu/students/programs/prog_builder.asp?CATYRBOX=2006&MAJBOX=RN-AS&deptID=6745 or you can just go to
http://www.pjc.edu and browse around. The University of West Florida has some locations in the Pensacola area. They have a location right next to the PJC location I listed above in Milton, but from my understanding, it's a horticultural branch and that's it. But if your wife is willing to go to Pensacola for classes and wants a BSN (bachelor's degree in nursing), The University of West Florida has a great nursing program. Here is their website:
http://uwf.edu/nursing/
I'm currently completing my Bachelor's degree in nursing remote from Texas A&M University. Basically, I take my classes via the web and go back to Texas to perform my clinicals. This works well for me since we're constantly moving. I'd advise your wife to pay close attention to the pre-reqs for each school's nursing programs. One thing I've discovered is that they're almost all different and don't always transfer easily, especially out-of-state credits.
If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me.
Good luck!