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Granule cells (GCs) of the cerebellar input layer express high-affinity δ GABA A subunit-containing GABA A receptors (δGABA A Rs) that respond to ambient GABA levels and context-dependent neuromodulators like steroids. We find that GC-specific deletion of δGABA A (cerebellar [cb] δ knockout [KO]) decreases tonic inhibition, makes GCs hyperexcitable, and in turn, leads to differential activation of cb output regions as well as many cortical and subcortical brain areas involved in cognition, anxiety-like behaviors, and the stress response. Cb δ KO mice display deficits in many behaviors, but motor function is normal. Strikingly, δGABA A deletion alters maternal behavior as well as spontaneous, stress-related, and social behaviors specifically in females. Our findings establish that δGABA A Rs enable the cerebellum to control diverse behaviors not previously associated with the cerebellum in a sex-dependent manner. These insights may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie behavioral abnormalities in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders that display a gender bias., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests S.R.D. is on the scientific advisory board of RBNC Inc., which has licensed the MoSeq technology, and holds patents related to the use of MoSeq to characterize behavior for drug development., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)