Career change after a layoff, where to begin?

I want to move from software tester to something with more stability. My family is supportive but nervous. How did you start?

Try a small project in the new field before committing. It told me a lot about whether I would enjoy it.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.