The real mother of Grace Poe is unknown. She was found in Iloilo City by a woman in the holy water font of Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, the main church of the city. When she was found, the parish priest at the time named her Grace.
Grace was first taken in by the Militar family but they later passed her on to Tessie Ledesma Valencia. Valencia was a friend to film stars, Fernando and Susan, who were newly wedded hence, she passed her on to them because she believed Grace will be better off with them
Grace was legally adopted by the actors and she was named Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe by them.
While still young, she watched her father from the sets of his movies even playing minor roles in some of them but she did not enter the show business.