JoAnne Kerere & Cathy Graves
The way Barker sees it, adoption is a 
“beautifully complex” journey — a lifelong 
process that, when centered on the 
needs and best interests of the adoptee 
and approached with patience and 
transparency, can deepen an adopted 
person’s understanding of themselves 
and expand their sense of family well 
beyond a single household. Sometimes, 
that expansion begins with relatives 
doing the work of building trust and 
connection first — to create a foundation 
the adopted person can step into when 
and if they’re ready.
JoAnne, a birth mother and Cathy, an 
adoptive mother, have each wanted to 
“close the circle” for their daughter Anna 
ever since her adoption in 1989. They’ve 
held this desire in their own ways and 
for their own reasons, but always 
toward the same end: to offer Anna 
access to the full story and family that 
belong to her.
In recent years, Barker has helped 
facilitate a meaningful step in this 
direction by supporting the two mothers 
with services and guidance tailored 
to each. Barker has walked with Cathy 
and JoAnne as they’ve formed their own 
relationship and, in parallel, seen Anna 
and her birth mother, JoAnne, begin to 
build a separate connection online.  
09
Cultivating  
Connection
COMMUNITY         CARE    	
CONNECTION
CREATING A FOUNDATION
JoAnne: “I was introduced to 
Cynthia Cubbage, who ended up 
taking my case on and working 
magic…She stepped in and facilitated my meeting with Cathy.”
Cathy: “I received a short and powerful email. It said, ‘My name 
is Cynthia Cubbage, I’m the Director of Post-Adoption Services, 
Barker. There are things I’d like to explain to you that are 
important. Would you be willing to talk to me?’”
JoAnne: “Cathy came to Frederick (Maryland) to meet me in 
person and meet Anna’s siblings. She wanted to meet Anna’s family. 
And she did…To me, it was wonderful. Yes, I would have loved to 
have met Anna, but I was actually happy to meet her mother first. I 
wanted to meet the woman who adopted my child.”
Cathy: “It was one of the most exciting weekends of my life. JoAnne 
walks in and — there’s Anna. Not entirely alike, but mannerisms, 
facial expressions...It was thrilling to see that family resemblance... 
I met her entire extended family...I saw this beautiful family in 
Maryland that belongs to my daughter.”
“For Anna, it’s one more mother thing I can do...I want to leave 
a little legacy for her. And I really hope she’ll dig in and meet this 
wonderful family and accept all the love they want to give her.”
“...It takes a village in this situation — to give this child of mine and 
Joanne’s the full experience of life. To give her her story.”
JoAnne: “I know they (Barker) care about me, and they care about 
Cathy, but I think ultimately, they care about Anna. They wanted to 
make things right for her... They want everybody to be happy, but I 
think number one is the child.”
STORIES OF IMPACT
Anna, Cathy, and JoAnne’s journeys continue to unfold. And 
as they do, Barker’s Post-Adopt Services Team is committed 
to being present and available for each of these women along 
the way. 
Cathy Graves (l) and 
JoAnne Kerere (r) in 
Hyattsville, MD in 2023

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