diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index e5d8829..d6429fa 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -12,10 +12,13 @@ pnpm start        # Start production server
 # Note: If Turbopack fails, use: pnpm build -- --webpack
 
 # Database (direct SQL or docker)
-docker-compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec db psql -U postgres -d tia
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec db psql -U postgres -d tia_dev
 ```
 
 **Note:** Running from `/Users/manohar_air/MyProjects/Tia/tia` directory.
+**Rule:** ALWAYS run `pnpm build` locally BEFORE git commit/push.
+
+---
 
 ## Architecture
 
@@ -23,10 +26,12 @@ docker-compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec db psql -U postgres -d tia
 
 - **Framework:** Next.js 16 with App Router (src/app/)
 - **Database:** PostgreSQL 16 with pgvector + Drizzle ORM
-- **Auth:** Database sessions with httpOnly cookies
+- **Auth:** Database sessions with httpOnly cookies (`tia_session`)
 - **AI:** LiteLLM gateway → MiniMax model (minimax-2.7)
 - **Storage:** Cloudflare R2 for media uploads
+- **Email:** Resend (transactional emails)
 - **Styling:** Tailwind CSS v4
+- **Deploy:** Dokploy (Docker-based, auto-runs migrations on deploy)
 
 ### Project Structure
 
@@ -34,289 +39,265 @@ docker-compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec db psql -U postgres -d tia
 src/
 ├── app/                    # Next.js App Router pages
 │   ├── api/               # API routes (auth, logs, ai, growth, etc.)
-│   ├── page.tsx            # Home (Quick Log + AI card)
+│   ├── page.tsx            # Home (Quick Log + AI card + baby card)
 │   ├── ai/               # AI chat page with sidebar
 │   ├── medical/           # Vaccination tracking
 │   ├── growth/           # Growth charts
 │   ├── memories/         # Photo gallery
 │   ├── menu/             # Navigation menu
 │   ├── onboarding/      # First-time setup
-│   ├── settings/          # Settings with theme picker
+│   ├── settings/          # Settings with theme picker, invite members
+│   ├── profile/          # Parent user profile (avatar, name, email)
 │   ├── login/            # User login (email + password)
-│   ├── admin/            # Admin panel
-│   └── admin-login/     # Admin login (separate)
+│   ├── admin/            # Admin panel (server component layout)
+│   └── admin-login/     # Admin login (separate, NOT under admin layout)
 ├── ThemeProvider.tsx       # Theme context (light/dark/system/time)
 ├── FamilyProvider.tsx      # Family/child context (resolves from session)
-drizzle/                  # Database migrations
-docs/                     # Design docs
+├── lib/
+│   ├── auth.ts            # requireFamily(), requireOwnership()
+│   ├── email.ts           # sendVerificationEmail(), sendFamilyInviteEmail()
+│   └── admin-auth.ts      # requireAdmin() for API, verifyAdminSession() for server components
+drizzle/                  # Database migrations (SQL files)
+drizzle/meta/_journal.json # Migration order — MUST update when adding new SQL files
 ```
 
-### Database
+---
 
-- **Migrations:** SQL files in `drizzle/` (not using drizzle-kit push)
-- **Apply:** `psql` directly or via docker-compose exec
-- **RLS:** Row-level security for multi-family isolation
+## Database Migrations
 
-### Data Models
+### How it works (Dokploy auto-deploy)
+- `Dockerfile CMD`: `node migrate.mjs && node server.js` — migrations run first, app boots after
+- `src/db/migrate.ts`: reads every SQL file in `drizzle/` and applies any not yet in `__drizzle_migrations`
+- `drizzle/meta/_journal.json`: ordered list of migration files — **must be updated** when adding a new SQL file
 
-- **Family:** Parent account container
-- **Members:** Adults in family (mom, dad, etc.) via `family_members`
-- **Children:** Baby profiles with birth date
-- **Sessions:** Login sessions with httpOnly cookies
-- **Logs:** Feed, sleep, diaper entries with timestamps
-- **Vaccinations:** IAP schedule tracking
-- **Growth:** Weight/height/head measurements over time
-- **Memories:** Photos with R2 storage
-- **Chat Sessions:** User conversations with AI (chat_sessions, chat_messages)
+### Adding a new migration
+1. Create `drizzle/NNNN_description.sql` with your SQL (use `IF NOT EXISTS` / `ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS`)
+2. Add an entry to `drizzle/meta/_journal.json` with the next `idx` and matching `tag`
+3. Push to git → Dokploy auto-applies on next deploy
 
-### Growth Page Features
+### Hot-fix: apply migration without waiting for redeploy
+Use the **debug-migration endpoint** (same pattern as the Circles implementation):
 
-The growth page tracks child's physical development with WHO standards.
-
-**Components:**
-- `formatAge(birthDate, measurementDate?)` - Shows age as "1y 4mo" or "8mo"
-- Latest Reading card with velocity and percentile
-- WHO Standards collapsible card (shows icons ⚖️📏⭕ when collapsed)
-- Growth chart (collapsible inside WHO card)
-- History (collapsible with scroll for many entries)
-- Goals stored in localStorage (`tia_growth_goal_${childId}`)
-
-**State:**
-- `showAdd` - Toggle add form (only shows if latest exists)
-- `showGoals` - Toggle goals card
-- `showWhoStandards` - Toggle WHO card expand/collapse
-- `showChart` - Toggle chart inside WHO card
-- `showHistory` - Toggle history expand/collapse
-
-**Color-coded percentiles:**
-- 🟢 Normal (15th-85th percentile)
-- 🟡 Watch (<15th or >85th)
-- 🔴 Alert (<3rd or >97th)
-
-**Column order:** Goals → Latest → Add Form → WHO+Chart → History
-
-### Key Patterns
-
-**ThemeProvider:** Wrap app in ThemeProvider from layout.tsx. Use `useTheme()` hook in components.
-
-```typescript
-import { useTheme } from "./ThemeProvider";
-const { theme, toggle, setMode } = useTheme();
-// theme: "light" | "dark"
-// mode: "light" | "dark" | "system" | "time"
+```
+POST /api/debug-migration
+Header: x-run-migration: yes
 ```
 
-**FamilyProvider:** Resolves family from database session on login.
+This runs SQL directly through the app's live DB connection. Steps use `IF NOT EXISTS` so safe to re-run.
+
+To add a new hot-fix: add `ALTER TABLE ... ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS` to the `steps` array in
+`src/app/api/debug-migration/route.ts`, push, and immediately call the endpoint from Chrome:
+
+```javascript
+// In browser console on tia.manohargupta.com
+const res = await fetch('/api/debug-migration', {
+  method: 'POST',
+  headers: { 'x-run-migration': 'yes' }
+});
+console.log(await res.json());
+```
+
+The GET endpoint also shows which migrations have been applied and email config status.
+
+---
+
+## Authentication
+
+### User auth (email + password)
+1. User visits `/login` with email + password
+2. `POST /api/auth/signin` verifies bcrypt hash, creates session in `sessions` table
+3. Session token stored in **httpOnly cookie** `tia_session` (NOT localStorage!)
+4. All data routes use `requireFamily()` from `@/lib/auth`
+
+### Admin auth
+- Login at `/admin-login` (username: `admin`, password: from env)
+- Sets `tia_admin_session` httpOnly cookie
+- **Admin layout** (`src/app/admin/layout.tsx`) is a **server component** — calls `verifyAdminSession()` from `@/lib/admin-auth` and `redirect('/admin-login')` if not authed
+- **Admin sub-pages** (`families`, `users`, `analytics`, etc.) use `credentials: 'include'` on all fetches — NO localStorage tokens, NO Bearer headers
+- `AdminSidebar.tsx` is a separate `"use client"` component for the interactive sidebar
+
+### FamilyProvider
+Resolves family from database session on login. Skip for admin routes.
 
 ```typescript
 import { useFamily } from "./FamilyProvider";
-const { familyId, familyName, child, children, tier, memberCount } = useFamily();
-// familyId: string | null
-// familyName: string | null (from session)
-// child: Child | null
-// children: Child[]
-// tier: "free" | "pro"
-// memberCount: number (from family_members table)
+const { familyId, familyName, child, children, tier, memberCount, updateChildImage } = useFamily();
+// updateChildImage(childId, imageUrl | null) — updates in-memory state after photo change
 ```
 
-**Offline Queue:** Uses localStorage (`tia_offline_queue`) for failed API calls, retries when online.
+---
 
-**Session Validation:** All data API routes must use functions from `@/lib/auth`:
+## Photo Uploads (R2)
 
-```typescript
-import { validateSession, requireFamily, requireOwnership } from "@/lib/auth";
+### Critical: CORS — never do a direct cross-origin PUT from the browser
+Direct `PUT` to R2 presigned URLs is cross-origin and **blocked by the browser**. Always proxy through the server.
 
-// Require family for user data
-export async function GET(request: Request) {
-  const auth = await requireFamily();
-  if (!auth.success) {
-    return NextResponse.json({ error: auth.error }, { status: auth.status });
-  }
+### 3-step upload pattern (used everywhere)
+1. `POST /api/[init-endpoint]` with `{ contentType, filename }` → get `{ key, publicUrl }`
+2. `PUT /api/upload?key=...&contentType=...` — server proxies the file to R2
+3. `PATCH /api/[save-endpoint]` with `{ [imageField]: publicUrl }` → saves URL to DB + deletes old R2 object
 
-  const familyId = auth.session!.familyId!;
-  // ... route logic
-}
+### Photo storage — two completely separate features
 
-// Require ownership for specific resources
-const ownership = await requireOwnership(childId, "children", "Child");
-if (!ownership.success) {
-  return NextResponse.json({ error: ownership.error }, { status: ownership.status });
-}
-```
+| | **Parent profile photo** | **Baby card photo** |
+|---|---|---|
+| Page | `/profile` | Homepage (`/`) |
+| DB column | `users.image` | `children.image_url` |
+| API | `POST/PATCH/DELETE /api/auth/avatar` | `POST/PATCH /api/children/[id]` |
+| R2 prefix | `avatars/{userId}/...` | `profiles/{childId}/...` |
 
-**Chat Sessions:** Stored in localStorage (`tia_chat_sessions`) - shared between home page AI card and /ai page. Database tables: `chat_sessions`, `chat_messages`.
+### Orphan cleanup pattern
+Before overwriting an image URL in the DB, fetch the old URL, extract the R2 key, verify it's under a controlled prefix (`avatars/` or `profiles/`), then `DeleteObjectCommand`. Applied in both avatar and children routes.
 
-**API Routes:** Return standard JSON `{ success: true, items: [...] }` format for lists.
+### users.image — NOT users.avatar_url
+The `users` table column is called **`image`** (not `avatar_url`). `avatar_url` belongs to `member_profiles`.
+Always use `u.image` in SQL queries against the `users` table.
 
-**AI Integration:**
+---
 
-- Route: `/api/ai` → LiteLLM (set via `LITELLM_BASE_URL` env var)
-- Model: `minimax-2.7`
-- See `/docs/debugging.md` for troubleshooting
-
-## Authentication (Email + Password)
-
-1. User visits `/login` with email + password (or signs up for new account)
-2. API `/api/auth/signin` verifies password hash and creates session in `sessions` table
-3. Session token stored in **httpOnly cookie** (NOT localStorage!)
-4. Password stored with simple hash in `users.password_hash`
-
-### Tables Used
-
-- **users:** User accounts (email, name)
-- **families:** Family accounts (name, tier, limits)
-- **family_members:** Links users to families (user_id, family_id, role)
-- **children:** Child profiles (name, birth_date, family_id)
-- **sessions:** Login sessions (session_token, user_id, expires)
-
-### NEVER use localStorage for:
-- authentication tokens
-- family_id after login
-- Any data that should persist across devices
-
-### localStorage Acceptable For:
-- Theme preference (user-specific display only)
-- Temporary cache (offline queue for retry)
-- Chat sessions local cache (synced from database)
-
-## Admin Panel
-
-Access at: `/admin-login` (username: `admin`, password: `admin123`)
-
-### Pages
-
-- `/admin` - Dashboard with clickable stat cards
-- `/admin/families` - Manage families (create, view/add/remove members, set tier)
-- `/admin/users` - Manage users (add to family, password status, delete)
-- `/admin/children` - Manage children
-- `/admin/revenue` - Revenue analytics
-- `/admin/analytics` - Feature usage
-- `/admin/support` - Support tickets
-- `/admin/settings` - Platform settings
-
-## Data Storage Consistency
-
-### RULE: All user data must persist to database, NOT localStorage
-
-| Data Type | Storage | API Key | Persists After Refresh | Persists After Logout |
-|----------|---------|--------|------------------------|-------------------|
-| Children | Database | `/api/children` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Activity Logs | Database | `/api/logs` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Vaccinations | Database | `/api/vaccinations` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Growth Records | Database | `/api/growth` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| User Profile | Database | `/api/auth/profile` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Memories/Photos | Database + R2 | `/api/upload` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Auth Session | Database + Cookie | `/api/auth/signin` | ✅ Yes | ✅ No |
-| Theme | localStorage | `tia_theme` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Chat Sessions | Database | `/api/chat` | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
-| Offline Queue | localStorage | `tia_offline_queue` | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
-
-## R2 Storage (Cloudflare)
-
-### Setup
-
-1. **Create bucket** in Cloudflare Dashboard → R2
-2. **Create API token** with "Object Read & Write" permissions
-3. **Enable Public Development URL** in bucket settings (gives pub-*.r2.dev URL)
-
-### API Endpoint Format
-
-The S3 API endpoint is: `https://<accountId>.r2.cloudflarestorage.com`
-
-For your bucket named "tia":
-- Account ID: `e71f22a2f8614fb3ba6d9b28a264d8ce`
-- S3 Endpoint: `https://e71f22a2f8614fb3ba6d9b28a264d8ce.r2.cloudflarestorage.com`
-- Public URL: `https://pub-37a76fd657c94d1dbc521a109c087a11.r2.dev` (no bucket name in path!)
-
-### Code Example
-
-```typescript
-const client = new S3Client({
-  region: "auto",
-  endpoint: `https://${accountId}.r2.cloudflarestorage.com`,
-  credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
-});
-
-// List objects
-const command = new ListObjectsV2Command({ Bucket: "tia" });
-const res = await client.send(command);
-
-// Get presigned upload URL
-const command = new PutObjectCommand({ Bucket: "tia", Key: key, ContentType });
-const url = await getSignedUrl(client, command, { expiresIn: 3600 });
-```
-
-### Key Learnings
-
-1. **S3 API endpoint** does NOT include bucket name: `https://...r2.cloudflarestorage.com`
-2. **Public URL** does NOT include bucket path: `https://pub-...r2.dev` (NOT `/tia/...`)
-3. **CORS** needs GET and PUT methods for uploads
-4. ListObjects needs bucket name in command, not endpoint
-
-## Environment Variables
-
-Set in `.env.local` for development, or in Dokploy dashboard for production.
-
-Required:
-
-- `DATABASE_URL` - PostgreSQL connection (as `tia_app` role after H2.1)
-- `DATABASE_URL_SUPERUSER` - Superuser connection (for migrations only)
-- `LITELLM_BASE_URL` - AI gateway URL (e.g., https://llm.manohargupta.com)
-- `LITELLM_API_KEY` - AI API key
-- `R2_ACCOUNT_ID` - Cloudflare R2 account ID
-- `R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID` - R2 access key
-- `R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` - R2 secret key
-- `R2_BUCKET_NAME` - R2 bucket name (e.g., "tia")
-- `R2_PUBLIC_URL` - Public R2 URL
-- `CRON_SECRET` - Secret for cron backup endpoint
-
-### Security Patterns
-
-All data API routes must validate sessions using `@/lib/auth`:
+## Key Patterns
 
+### Session validation in API routes
 ```typescript
 import { requireFamily, requireOwnership } from "@/lib/auth";
 
 export async function GET(request: Request) {
   const auth = await requireFamily();
-  if (!auth.success) {
-    return NextResponse.json({ error: auth.error }, { status: auth.status });
-  }
-  // ... route logic
+  if (!auth.success) return NextResponse.json({ error: auth.error }, { status: auth.status });
+  const familyId = auth.session!.familyId!;
+  // ...
 }
 ```
 
-### Current Security Status (May 2026)
-
-- **RLS (Row-Level Security):** DISABLED on family_members, children, and growth tables (app-level security via requireOwnership)
-- **App-level security:** All routes use `requireFamily()` and `requireOwnership()` checks
-- **This is secure because:** All API routes validate session before returning data
-- **To re-enable RLS later:** Add proper INSERT bypass policy, keep RLS for SELECT only
-
-AI routes use medical guardrails from `@/lib/ai/medical-triggers`:
-
+### ThemeProvider
 ```typescript
-import { detectMedicalIntent } from "@/lib/ai/medical-triggers";
-
-const intent = detectMedicalIntent(query);
-if (intent.isMedical) {
-  // Redirect to pediatrician
-}
+import { useTheme } from "./ThemeProvider";
+const { theme, toggle, setMode } = useTheme();
+// theme: "light" | "dark" | mode: "light" | "dark" | "system" | "time"
 ```
 
-## Known Issues
+### Offline Queue
+Uses localStorage (`tia_offline_queue`) for failed API calls, retries when online.
+
+### Chat Sessions
+Stored in localStorage (`tia_chat_sessions`) — shared between home page AI card and `/ai` page.
+Database tables: `chat_sessions`, `chat_messages`.
+
+---
+
+## Email (Resend)
+
+Transactional emails via Resend. Functions in `src/lib/email.ts`:
+- `sendVerificationEmail(email, token, userId)` — account verification
+- `sendFamilyInviteEmail({ to, inviterName, familyName, token, role })` — family invite
+
+Emails fall back to console log if `RESEND_API_KEY` is not set (dev mode).
+
+---
+
+## Family Invites
+
+Flow:
+1. Settings → Invite → `POST /api/invites` → creates row in `family_invites`, sends email via Resend
+2. Invitee clicks `/invite/{token}` link → logs in/signs up
+3. `POST /api/invites/accept` → adds to `family_members`, **deletes** the invite row (single-use)
+4. `DELETE /api/invites/[id]` — cancel a pending invite
+
+`family_invites` table columns: `id, family_id, email, role, token, expires_at, created_at, display_name, accepted_at`
+(Note: `display_name` and `accepted_at` were missing from the original schema — added in migration `0006`)
+
+---
+
+## Growth Page
+
+- `formatAge(birthDate, measurementDate?)` — shows age as "1y 4mo" or "8mo"
+- Goals stored in localStorage (`tia_growth_goal_${childId}`)
+- Column order: Goals → Latest Reading → Add Form → WHO+Chart → History
+- Color-coded percentiles: 🟢 Normal (15–85th) · 🟡 Watch (<15 or >85) · 🔴 Alert (<3 or >97)
+
+---
+
+## Admin Panel
+
+Access at `/admin-login`.
+
+Pages: `/admin`, `/admin/families`, `/admin/users`, `/admin/children`, `/admin/revenue`, `/admin/analytics`, `/admin/support`, `/admin/settings`
+
+Auth pattern: server component layout calls `verifyAdminSession()` → redirects to `/admin-login` if not authenticated. No client-side cookie checks.
+
+---
+
+## Data Storage Rules
+
+| Data Type | Storage | API |
+|----------|---------|-----|
+| Children | Database | `/api/children` |
+| Activity Logs | Database | `/api/logs` |
+| Vaccinations | Database | `/api/vaccinations` |
+| Growth Records | Database | `/api/growth` |
+| User Profile | Database | `/api/auth/profile` |
+| Parent Avatar | Database (`users.image`) + R2 | `/api/auth/avatar` |
+| Baby Photo | Database (`children.image_url`) + R2 | `/api/children/[id]` |
+| Memories/Photos | Database + R2 | `/api/upload` |
+| Auth Session | Database + Cookie | `/api/auth/signin` |
+| Theme | localStorage | `tia_theme` |
+| Growth Goals | localStorage | `tia_growth_goal_${childId}` |
+| Custom Folders | localStorage | `tia_custom_folders` |
+| Offline Queue | localStorage | `tia_offline_queue` |
+
+**NEVER use localStorage for:** authentication tokens, family_id, or any data that should persist across devices.
+
+---
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+Set in `.env.local` for development, Dokploy dashboard for production.
+
+| Variable | Required | Description |
+|----------|----------|-------------|
+| `DATABASE_URL` | ✅ | PostgreSQL connection |
+| `DATABASE_URL_SUPERUSER` | ✅ | Superuser connection (migrations only) |
+| `LITELLM_BASE_URL` | ✅ | AI gateway URL |
+| `LITELLM_API_KEY` | ✅ | AI API key |
+| `R2_ACCOUNT_ID` | ✅ | Cloudflare R2 account ID |
+| `R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID` | ✅ | R2 access key |
+| `R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | ✅ | R2 secret key |
+| `R2_BUCKET_NAME` | ✅ | R2 bucket name (e.g. "tia") |
+| `R2_PUBLIC_URL` | ✅ | Public R2 URL |
+| `RESEND_API_KEY` | ✅ | Resend API key for transactional email |
+| `EMAIL_FROM` | ✅ | Sender address (e.g. `Tia <tia@manohargupta.com>`) |
+| `NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL` | ✅ | Full app URL (e.g. `https://tia.manohargupta.com`) |
+| `CRON_SECRET` | ✅ | Secret for cron backup endpoint |
+
+---
+
+## R2 Storage (Cloudflare)
+
+- Account ID: `e71f22a2f8614fb3ba6d9b28a264d8ce`
+- S3 Endpoint: `https://e71f22a2f8614fb3ba6d9b28a264d8ce.r2.cloudflarestorage.com`
+- Public URL: `https://pub-37a76fd657c94d1dbc521a109c087a11.r2.dev` (no bucket name in path!)
+
+Key learnings:
+1. S3 API endpoint does NOT include bucket name
+2. Public URL does NOT include `/tia/` bucket path
+3. Direct browser PUT to presigned URL = CORS blocked → always proxy via `/api/upload`
+
+---
+
+## Known Issues & Fixes Applied
 
 ### Turbopack Parsing Issue
+Some files cause "Unterminated regexp literal" with Turbopack. Fix: `pnpm build -- --webpack`
+Avoid patterns like `name: "TT/Td"` in arrays (the `/` can be misread as regex).
 
-Some files may cause "Unterminated regexp literal" errors when building with Turbopack. If build fails:
+### users.image vs users.avatar_url
+The `users` table uses `image` for the profile photo column. Using `avatar_url` in SQL will throw
+"column does not exist". `avatar_url` exists only on `member_profiles`.
 
-1. Try building with Webpack instead:
-
-   ```bash
-   pnpm build -- --webpack
-   ```
-
-2. The issue is in SWC parser - avoid patterns like `name: "TT/Td"` in arrays as the `/` can be interpreted as regex
-
-3. Apply fixes one change at a time between builds - cumulative changes can confuse Turbopack's cache
+### family_invites missing columns
+Original schema was missing `display_name` and `accepted_at`. Added in `drizzle/0006_family_invites_missing_cols.sql`.
+Hot-fixed via `/api/debug-migration` POST.
 
+### Admin auth (httpOnly cookie)
+`tia_admin_session` is httpOnly — `document.cookie` can never read it. Admin pages use a **server component layout**
+that calls `verifyAdminSession()` server-side. Client pages use `credentials: 'include'` on fetches; no Bearer tokens.
diff --git a/src/app/api/invites/route.ts b/src/app/api/invites/route.ts
index a32e1b3..df1e1d4 100644
--- a/src/app/api/invites/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/invites/route.ts
@@ -65,30 +65,37 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
       [auth.session!.familyId, email, role || "caregiver", token, expiresAt.toISOString()]
     );
 
-    // Fetch inviter name + family name for the email
+    // Send invite email — capture result so caller can see if it worked
+    let emailStatus: { sent: boolean; error?: string; noKey?: boolean } = { sent: false };
     try {
-      const [meta] = await sql.unsafe(
-        `SELECT u.name as inviter_name, f.name as family_name
-         FROM family_members fm
-         JOIN users u ON u.id = fm.user_id
-         JOIN families f ON f.id = fm.family_id
-         WHERE fm.family_id = $1 AND fm.user_id = $2
-         LIMIT 1`,
-        [auth.session!.familyId, auth.session!.userId]
-      );
-      await sendFamilyInviteEmail({
-        to: email,
-        inviterName: meta?.inviter_name || "Someone",
-        familyName: meta?.family_name || "your family",
-        token,
-        role: role || "caregiver",
-      });
+      if (!process.env.RESEND_API_KEY) {
+        emailStatus = { sent: false, noKey: true };
+      } else {
+        const [meta] = await sql.unsafe(
+          `SELECT u.name as inviter_name, f.name as family_name
+           FROM family_members fm
+           JOIN users u ON u.id = fm.user_id
+           JOIN families f ON f.id = fm.family_id
+           WHERE fm.family_id = $1 AND fm.user_id = $2
+           LIMIT 1`,
+          [auth.session!.familyId, auth.session!.userId]
+        );
+        await sendFamilyInviteEmail({
+          to: email,
+          inviterName: meta?.inviter_name || "Someone",
+          familyName: meta?.family_name || "your family",
+          token,
+          role: role || "caregiver",
+        });
+        emailStatus = { sent: true };
+      }
     } catch (emailErr) {
-      console.error("[INVITE-EMAIL-ERROR]", emailErr);
-      // non-fatal — invite was created, email just didn't send
+      const msg = emailErr instanceof Error ? emailErr.message : String(emailErr);
+      console.error("[INVITE-EMAIL-ERROR]", msg);
+      emailStatus = { sent: false, error: msg };
     }
 
-    return NextResponse.json({ success: true, invite, inviteUrl: `/invite/${token}` });
+    return NextResponse.json({ success: true, invite, inviteUrl: `/invite/${token}`, emailStatus });
   } catch (error) {
     console.error(error);
     return NextResponse.json({ error: String(error) }, { status: 500 });