This article presents a comparative study of the income status of children in female-headed families, married-couple families, and male-headed families in 1969, 1979, and 1989. The study found that from 1969 to 1989, children in female-headed families gained ground economically to children in married-couple families at the point of pretransfer income distribution, but it lost at the point of posttransfer income distribution. In comparison to children in male-headed families, these children gained ground economically at both points of income distribution, but to a lesser degree at the point of posttransfer income distribution. The findings point to the conclusion that female heads of families increased economic capabilities during the past two decades--a manifestation of their greater work efforts. Policy implications are discussed.