Rep. Ritchie Torres announced on Wednesday his new bill, dubbed “River’s Law,” which would prohibit in-home daycares from having swimming pools on their premises.
The legislation was named in memory of River Wilson, the 20-month-old Castle Hill toddler who drowned at her daycare’s swimming pool on Aug. 1.
If the bill passes, residential daycares with pools would not be able to receive licenses, and owners would be required to install safety alarms on doors and windows. The text of the bill is not yet available, but Torres said he is pushing for it to become law at the federal and state levels.
He announced the legislation at PO Serrano Playground, where River frequently played with her parents, Ifiok and Ima Wilson, according to the toddler’s aunt, Inemesit O’Boyle.
The parents did not address the media but stood behind Torres, flanked by photos of them with River, who was their only child.
Torres described the city’s residential daycare system as “broken,” plagued by understaffing and a lack of regulation.
“The failure to protect River was as unforgivable as her drowning was preventable,” he said.
Inspectors at the daycare were “too late and too slow” to flag problems with the above-ground pool, which was found to be unsafe only after River’s death, said Torres.
In an Aug. 4 inspection after the incident, the daycare was cited for nine violations pertaining to the pool and improper supervision, and Gonzalez Feliz’s daycare license is now listed as suspended on the website for the state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).
However, inspectors visited the facility six times between March 2023 and May 2025 and issued no violations regarding the pool or any other aspects of operation. On March 7, 2023, the daycare received one violation for lack of supervision during an annual unannounced visit, but it was listed as corrected the next day.
Torres said this inconsistency raises concerns over inspection quality.
“These inspections cannot be trusted to protect our toddlers and infants, and so out of an abundance of caution, we have no choice but to prohibit these swimming pools altogether,” ssid Torres.
He pointed to “layers upon layers upon layers of preventable safety failures” that led to River’s drowning. If she had been properly supervised, if inspectors had flagged problems with the pool or if the pool had adequate fences or alarms, the tragedy would not have occurred, he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among toddlers, mostly occurring in residential pools, and thousands of children are taken to emergency rooms each year for injuries from non-fatal drownings, said Torres.
“Why do we permit swimming pools in residential daycare centers that are dangerously understaffed, dangerously underregulated and dangerously underinspected?” Torres said. “The consequences are both predictable and preventable.”
Attorney James Williams praised Torres for taking action to prevent other families from suffering the same fate as the Wilsons. He said the family has received an outpouring of support, but legislative action is necessary to bring lasting change.
“So much of the pain around this event has come from the fact that it was preventable,” he said.
Inemesit O’Boyle, River’s aunt and Ima Wilson’s sister, also thanked Torres and said the effects of her niece’s death continue to reverberate.
“We want River back, but I also want my sister back, and her husband. Once a family loses a child, their entire world is destroyed,” she said.
After addressing the media, Torres joined the Wilsons in a walk to 2117 Story Ave., the former home of Ana’s Butterfly Garden Family Group.
The large sign advertising the daycare, which once hung in front of the house, had been removed, and two memorials with candles, stuffed animals and other momentos remained on the ground on both sides of the driveway gate. Reporters with the Bronx Times and other outlets knocked and rang the bell at the house, but no one answered.
In front of the place where River died, her parents lit white candles and spent time in conversation with Torres.
Williams, the attorney, said the Wilsons will not rest until the daycare staff and inspectors are held responsible — but the wheels of justice are turning slowly.
It has been “some time” since the family received any updates from law enforcement, and it remains unclear whether charges will be brought against the daycare or the inspecting agency, said Williams.
“We can only hope that the police and everyone else is investigating this thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned,” he said.
He said the daycare owner has never spoken with the Wilsons to explain what happened and sent just one “hollow, superficial, insulting” text message expressing love for River.
“If you loved River, you wouldn’t hide behind this gates and behind these walls but you’d come out into the light and explain yourself,” said Williams.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
