Delaney first became known for her stint as innocent teenager Jenny Gardner Nelson on the soap opera "All My Children", which also was her first job. She played the character from August 1981 to August 1984, earning a 1983 Daytime Emmy Award nomination, as well as a loyal fan base; a profile of the actress a decade later noted,"Delaney left the soap in 1984, but fans still remember her as Jenny. 'They come up and will say they've followed everything I've done, and they stopped watching the show after I left, and they're so happy to see me on "NYPD Blue", because they love the character.'"