Give some stream of consciousness and then the answer. With Amos and Rolle gone, Ja'net Dubois took over as the lead character, as Willona checked in on the Evans children since they were now living alone. In season five Janet Jackson joined the cast, playing Penny Gordon Woods, an abused girl who is abandoned by her mother and eventually adopted by Willona.

Answer this question: who did janet jackson play on good times?
To answer the above question, the relevant sentence is: In season five Janet Jackson joined the cast, playing Penny Gordon Woods, an abused girl who is abandoned by her mother and eventually adopted by Willona.
Therefore, the answer is Penny Gordon Woods.