Adoption Stories: Jessica Campbell

Conversations about adoption are often missing the voices of people who have lived it. Countless individuals have firsthand experience with the process, and their stories deserve to be heard. In our new series, “Adoption Stories,” we’re giving adoptees, adoptive parents, and their families a platform to share their journeys in their own words. This month, we welcome Jessica Campbell.

If you are interested in sharing your experiences with adoption, please complete this survey.

What are your experiences with adoption?

I am an adoptee, and I’m a family member of an adoptee.

What do you think are the most common myths or misconceptions about adoption?

That a biological mother didn’t want their child or love their child. Many times adoptees may feel this way. I didn’t, but I realize many do have that difficult emotional aspect. Even if it’s untrue, they may feel that way.

What do you wish more people understood about adoption?

• Biological parenting is how we are built as humans, and that’s ideal. The next step, ideally, is family helping to parent, like a grandparent situation. The next ideal is adoption.
• Adoption always involves trauma, not always for the child to remember, but always for the mother who endured difficult emotions when deciding and going through with placement.
• Many, if not most, adoptive parents are incredibly thankful to be able to adopt.
• Mothers do not “give up” their baby; they “place” their baby for adoption. It’s a very selfless and loving thing to do when they see fit that another family can raise their child in more ideal circumstances.

In your opinion, what makes an adoption process ethical or unethical?

The process of another family raising a child as their own is ethical as long as they’re always honest with the child. Never, ever should a child be lied to about their circumstance. For example, I always knew I was adopted and loved.

The unethical side of adoption is the deceit and taking advantage of families desperate for a child of their own or trying to pressure a mother into choosing to place her child. The cost of adoption is astronomical, and nobody should be making a profit on children being adopted; there must be ways to make this more achievable.

Are there specific reforms or changes you think should be made in adoption practices or laws?

Adoption needs to be affordable. There need to be ethical laws so adoption is not a process that people are making money on.

How do you see adoption portrayed in public discourse? Do you feel this is accurate?

This is a good question. I think it’s viewed as a privilege, and I think that’s accurate.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your perspective on adoption?

I had a closed adoption. It was a beautiful situation, and I had an ideal experience as an adopted child. My biological mother had another daughter four years after me, and she also was placed for adoption. I met all of my biological family as an adult: my bio mom, sister, aunts, father, and more siblings that my biological father raised with his wife as a family. I can’t imagine a more beautiful scenario.

My biological mother chose life despite perhaps not having the most supportive situation around her, and she did that twice. I admire and respect her deeply. I now have two moms, two dads, plus in-laws and step-parents, two more sisters, and two more brothers—it’s amazing. I grew up with my younger sisters, who were also adopted (not biological to me); their biological family situation was not as ideal.

I see now with perspective as an adult and am very thankful for how my life played out. I am an adoptee and would be open to adopting should the situation arise. I will say it seems it’s very expensive and difficult to adopt in 2025.

For now, we are very happy and honored to support mothers who are in crisis pregnancies and need support. We are so happy to be able to do that and want them to be empowered to know they can choose life: parenting their child or placing their child with another family are both incredibly admirable things to do.

Any recommended resources for people who want to better understand adoption?

Abby Johnson is great on sharing how to support mothers who wish to parent; she also has adopted children.

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