New bill will allow parents to inspect entire day care facility before enrollment
NEW YORK (WABC) -- One day shy of the three month mark of the drug-related death of a 1-year-old at a Bronx day care, state and local lawmakers are working to plug the gaps in the system that could have prevented it.
"We want to make sure parents don't have this worry going forward," said New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera during a news conference Wednesday.
In September, 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici died from fentanyl exposure at his Bronx day care.
Police found six kilos of fentanyl in the closet, and an addition six kilos were located underneath a trap door hidden beneath the floor board.
Under a new bill introduced by State Senator Rivera, illicit items and substances won't have a place to be stashed.
"It will address parents, providers, and inspectors," he assured.
The proposed legislation would bolster day care regulations overseen by the Office of Children and Family Services by giving parents the right to inspect the entire day care facility, including unused rooms and closets.
Day care providers would be required to receive opioid overdose training and keep Narcan on the premises.
Inspectors, meanwhile, will be required to look for drug and drug paraphernalia during inspections.
"We have to make sure that day care centers, whether they're licensed in homes or other places are truly safe," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
These measures are all taken to prevent other parents from going through this kind of pain.
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