Data came from the Family Income Study (FIS), a statistically representative longitudinal survey of approximately 2,100 families at risk of receiving public assistance. The primary purpose of the FIS project was to examine the causes of public dependency and the impact of changes in the economy or public programs on dependency, work, and the well-being of children. The families were interviewed annually over 5 years from 1987 to 1992 to obtain information about a variety of family experiences and behaviors. The sample used in this study was limited to those FIS families with children between the ages of 10 and 18. The two dependent variables were referral of a juvenile to court for a law violation in a given year and the total number of such referrals in a given year. The major independent variable was female headship as measured by self-reported marital status. In addition, a statistical interaction term was created to assess the interaction between female headship and welfare participation. Appropriate statistical models of random effect probit and negative binomial were used in the analysis. The analysis found no direct effects of female headship and welfare participation on either the prevalence or the frequency of children's delinquency. Juvenile delinquency may be related more directly to lack of adult supervision, poor school performance, and other handicaps that may be more prevalent in female headed/welfare families. Future research should focus on the quality of family life within female-headed families and on other social factors related to welfare participation that may be directly related to delinquency. 4 tables, 5 notes, and 52 references