Career change after a layoff, where to begin?

I want to move from IT help-desk technician to something with more stability. My family is supportive but nervous. How did you start?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 6 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

You likely have more transferable skills than you think. Write down what you did, not what the job title said.