Indicates that the increase in female-headed households was accounted for by childless women who are ineligible for public assistance benefits. Although the public assistance system has become more generous, a married woman who becomes a female head can expect a substantial drop in her economic level. (Author)

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the number of households headed by women and in the proportion of these households receiving public assistance. This paper presents a model to test the hypothesis that changes in the public assistance system contributed to the increase in these households. Current Population Survey data on the…