By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A licensed foster mother who tried to kill herself and her two children - one whom she adopted this year after he was placed with her by the Department of Job and Family Services - was trying to spite the department for failing to help her get housing, Hamilton County prosecutors say.

Tricia McClure, 34, pleaded guilty Monday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to two charges of child endangering, each charge punishable by up to eight years in prison when she's sentenced next month.

The children, a 3-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy, were treated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and released after the woman's Sept. 18 suicide attempt at a relative's North Fairmount home. The children had high levels of carbon monoxide in their system, according to court records.

They are now in the care of the Department of Job and Family Services, which placed the children with a relative of McClure's, said Laurie Petrie, a spokeswoman for the department.

"There was absolutely no excuse for this. This was unacceptable behavior," said Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen. "She's lucky those children didn't die."

McClure, who at the time worked at 4C, a clearinghouse for child-care help, told authorities she was feeling despondent that morning. She had recently lost her home, had stayed briefly in a shelter and was staying with a cousin.

She said she "felt she had no other choice" but to put the children in the minivan in an attempt to kill them with carbon monoxide, according to Cincinnati Police Detective Linda Day.

As the lethal gas filled the garage, McClure is accused of putting on a Disney movie on to calm the children and then writing out a suicide note.

In it she thanks some people, but blasts the Department of Job and Family Services, saying people there were rude to her, according to Allen.

But after 40 minutes - sparked by a cry from one of the children - she had second thoughts, took the children outside and called 911.

When firefighters arrived about 11:30 a.m., McClure was sitting on some steps with the children. Day described the children as, "quite upset, crying, hysterical and appeared to be somewhat lethargic."

In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped two additional charges of felonious assault and two charges of child endangering.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Norbert Nadel convicted McClure and ordered her to have no contact with the children. "Not even supervised visits," he said.

McClure was a licensed foster parent at the time, but a conviction on charges that she assaulted a child will prevent her from ever having another child placed with her, Petrie said.

No children have been placed with McClure since April 2002, Petrie said.

Petrie said she did not know McClure was upset with the agency.

"It's bizarre for her to take her anger out on two innocent children," Petrie said.

And, if she was that upset, Petrie said, there is a grievance process in place.

"There's plenty of due process if you have a problem," Petrie said. "That doesn't mean everyone goes away happy, but there is a process to hear grievances."

McClure remains free on $5,000 bail.

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E-mail scoolidge@enquirer.com