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Bill would ban pools at residential day care, after baby died in the Bronx
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Sep 2, 2025
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From the "In Memory of River: A Family's Heartache" GoFundMe page
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Sep 2, 2025
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A federal bill that would ban swimming pools at residential day cares is set to be introduced this week, after a 20-month-old child drowned at a Bronx day care early last month.
Congressman Ritchie Torres on Tuesday announced “River’s Law,” which would also require door and window alarms. The legislation is named after River Wilson, who drowned in the backyard at Ana's Butterfly Garden Family Group, a state-licensed day care center on Story Avenue in the Bronx.
“ River and her family have been catastrophically failed … by a broken system of residential day care,” Torres said at an announcement of the legislation Monday, standing with the family in front of photos of the baby. “ River's death is a reminder, a tragic reminder that residential day care centers with swimming pools are dangerously understaffed and dangerously under-regulated.”
The day care’s license was suspended three days after the incident, state records show. But during four inspections from March 2024 through May 2025, regulators found no violations at the day care.
“ There were layers and layers of preventable safety failures,” Torres said. “If there had been adult supervision, River would be alive today. If there had been adequate safety inspections, River would be alive today. If there had been adequate fencing around the pool, River would be alive today. If there had been alarms on the doors, on the fences, or in the pools itself, River would be alive today.”
Police say the incident took place just before 1 p.m. on Aug. 1. Officers responding to a 911 call to the day care center found River unconscious and unresponsive. She was taken by EMS to Montefiore-Einstein Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Officials said the 47-year-old day care operator told officers she was cooking food when the child got out of the house through the back screen door. She said the toddler was able to access the above-ground pool in the backyard, climbed onto the deck and into the water, according to officials.
No one answered the phone number listed for the day care center on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Torres said the day care operator has refused to speak to the family. River’s family stood behind Torres on Tuesday but spoke through their attorney, James Williams. He said the family hopes the bill will raise awareness of the dangers of swimming pools at day care centers.
“River's family has been devastated. This community has been devastated,” he said. “The outpouring of love and support has been fantastic and it is what carried them. It has carried them thus far, but what's going to carry them forward from here is action like this.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old. Torres said that statistic is enough to ban pools at child care facilities.
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Catalina Gonella
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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