diff --git a/custom_components/nestquest/dao_children.py b/custom_components/nestquest/dao_children.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e94a51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/custom_components/nestquest/dao_children.py
@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+"""Typed DAO layer for the children and admin_users tables.
+
+All SQL for ``children`` and ``admin_users`` lives in this module per
+the feature guardrail: callers get typed dataclasses back and never see
+raw rows or SQL.  Every method is async and runs through
+:class:`~.db.NestQuestDatabase`, so each statement executes on the HA
+executor and the event loop never blocks.
+
+Error contract: violations surface as the underlying
+:class:`sqlite3.IntegrityError` (duplicate, foreign-key, or CHECK
+failure) from the execute call; the DAO adds no wrapping exception
+type.  A get that matches nothing returns ``None``; a mutation that
+matches nothing is reported by :class:`~.db.ExecutionResult.rowcount`,
+which each method returns where the caller may need it (reorder, and
+the admin remove/set paths).
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+from .db import NestQuestDatabase
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ChildRecord:
+    """One row of ``children``."""
+
+    id: int
+    display_name: str
+    colour: str | None
+    avatar_ref: str | None
+    sort_order: int
+    is_active: bool
+    created_at: str
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class AdminUserRecord:
+    """One row of ``admin_users``."""
+
+    ha_user_id: str
+    added_at: str
+
+
+def _child_from_row(row: tuple) -> ChildRecord:
+    """Build a :class:`ChildRecord` from a SELECT row."""
+    return ChildRecord(
+        id=row[0],
+        display_name=row[1],
+        colour=row[2],
+        avatar_ref=row[3],
+        sort_order=row[4],
+        is_active=bool(row[5]),
+        created_at=row[6],
+    )
+
+
+_CHILD_COLUMNS = (
+    "id, display_name, colour, avatar_ref, sort_order, is_active, created_at"
+)
+
+
+class ChildrenDao:
+    """Typed async data access for the ``children`` table.
+
+    Deletion is deliberately absent: children are deactivated, never
+    deleted, because completion history references them (feature
+    guardrail).
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, database) -> None:
+        self._database = database
+
+    async def create(
+        self,
+        display_name: str,
+        created_at: str,
+        *,
+        colour: str | None = None,
+        avatar_ref: str | None = None,
+        sort_order: int = 0,
+        is_active: bool = True,
+    ) -> ChildRecord:
+        """Insert one child and return the record as stored."""
+        result = await self._database.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO children (display_name, colour, avatar_ref, "
+            "sort_order, is_active, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
+            (
+                display_name,
+                colour,
+                avatar_ref,
+                sort_order,
+                int(is_active),
+                created_at,
+            ),
+        )
+        child = await self.get(result.lastrowid)
+        assert child is not None
+        return child
+
+    async def get(self, child_id: int) -> ChildRecord | None:
+        """Return the child with ``child_id``, or None."""
+        row = await self._database.fetch_one(
+            f"SELECT {_CHILD_COLUMNS} FROM children WHERE id = ?",
+            (child_id,),
+        )
+        return _child_from_row(row) if row is not None else None
+
+    async def list_active(self) -> list[ChildRecord]:
+        """Return active children ordered by sort_order, then id."""
+        rows = await self._database.fetch_all(
+            f"SELECT {_CHILD_COLUMNS} FROM children WHERE is_active = 1 "
+            "ORDER BY sort_order, id"
+        )
+        return [_child_from_row(row) for row in rows]
+
+    async def list_all(self) -> list[ChildRecord]:
+        """Return all children ordered by sort_order, then id."""
+        rows = await self._database.fetch_all(
+            f"SELECT {_CHILD_COLUMNS} FROM children "
+            "ORDER BY sort_order, id"
+        )
+        return [record for record in map(_child_from_row, rows)]
+
+    async def update(
+        self,
+        child_id: int,
+        *,
+        display_name: str | None = None,
+        colour: str | None = None,
+        avatar_ref: str | None = None,
+        sort_order: int | None = None,
+    ) -> int:
+        """Update the given fields; returns rows updated (0 if absent).
+
+        Only non-None arguments are written, so a caller cannot
+        accidentally blank a column by omitting it.
+        """
+        assignments: list[str] = []
+        parameters: list[object] = []
+        if display_name is not None:
+            assignments.append("display_name = ?")
+            parameters.append(display_name)
+        if colour is not None:
+            assignments.append("colour = ?")
+            parameters.append(colour)
+        if avatar_ref is not None:
+            assignments.append("avatar_ref = ?")
+            parameters.append(avatar_ref)
+        if sort_order is not None:
+            assignments.append("sort_order = ?")
+            parameters.append(sort_order)
+        if not assignments:
+            return 0
+        parameters.append(child_id)
+        result = await self._database.execute(
+            f"UPDATE children SET {', '.join(assignments)} WHERE id = ?",
+            tuple(parameters),
+        )
+        return result.rowcount
+
+    async def set_active(self, child_id: int, is_active: bool) -> int:
+        """Set the child's active flag; returns rows updated (0 if absent)."""
+        result = await self._database.execute(
+            "UPDATE children SET is_active = ? WHERE id = ?",
+            (int(is_active), child_id),
+        )
+        return result.rowcount
+
+    async def reorder(self, ordered_ids: list[int]) -> None:
+        """Persist a new sort order: ``ordered_ids[i]`` gets sort_order i.
+
+        Runs inside one transaction; positions are staged at offset
+        -len (all negative, so any permutation of the same ids never
+        collides mid-reorder under the wrapper's single-connection
+        serialization), then finalized 0..n-1.
+        """
+        if not ordered_ids:
+            return
+        async with self._database.transaction():
+            offset = len(ordered_ids)
+            await self._database.execute_many(
+                "UPDATE children SET sort_order = ? WHERE id = ?",
+                [
+                    (-(offset + index), child_id)
+                    for index, child_id in enumerate(ordered_ids)
+                ],
+            )
+            await self._database.execute_many(
+                "UPDATE children SET sort_order = ? WHERE id = ?",
+                [
+                    (index, child_id)
+                    for index, child_id in enumerate(ordered_ids)
+                ],
+            )
+
+
+class AdminUsersDao:
+    """Typed async access to the ``admin_users`` allowlist.
+
+    The allowlist stores HA user IDs, never usernames (feature
+    guardrail); an empty allowlist means no admin, enforced by callers
+    resolving through :meth:`exists`.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, database) -> None:
+        self._database = database
+
+    async def add(self, ha_user_id: str, added_at: str) -> bool:
+        """Add a user to the allowlist; True if inserted, False if present.
+
+        Idempotent by design: allowlist management UIs re-adding an
+        existing admin must not raise.
+        """
+        existing = await self._database.fetch_one(
+            "SELECT 1 FROM admin_users WHERE ha_user_id = ?",
+            (ha_user_id,),
+        )
+        if existing is not None:
+            return False
+        await self._database.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO admin_users (ha_user_id, added_at) VALUES (?, ?)",
+            (ha_user_id, added_at),
+        )
+        return True
+
+    async def remove(self, ha_user_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Remove a user from the allowlist; True if a row was removed."""
+        result = await self._database.execute(
+            "DELETE FROM admin_users WHERE ha_user_id = ?",
+            (ha_user_id,),
+        )
+        return result.rowcount > 0
+
+    async def list(self) -> list[AdminUserRecord]:
+        """Return every allowlisted user, oldest first."""
+        rows = await self._database.fetch_all(
+            "SELECT ha_user_id, added_at FROM admin_users "
+            "ORDER BY added_at, ha_user_id"
+        )
+        return [
+            AdminUserRecord(ha_user_id=row[0], added_at=row[1])
+            for row in rows
+        ]
+
+    async def exists(self, ha_user_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Return True if ``ha_user_id`` is allowlisted."""
+        row = await self._database.fetch_one(
+            "SELECT 1 FROM admin_users WHERE ha_user_id = ?",
+            (ha_user_id,),
+        )
+        return row is not None
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_dao_children.py b/tests/test_dao_children.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c4273b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_dao_children.py
@@ -0,0 +1,385 @@
+"""Tests for dao_children.py: typed DAO for children and admin_users."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import sqlite3
+
+import pytest
+
+from custom_components.nestquest.dao_children import (
+    AdminUserRecord,
+    AdminUsersDao,
+    ChildRecord,
+    ChildrenDao,
+)
+from custom_components.nestquest.db import NestQuestDatabase
+from custom_components.nestquest.schema import SCHEMA_V1_STATEMENTS
+from custom_components.nestquest.migrations import apply_migrations
+
+
+def _run(coro):
+    return asyncio.new_event_loop().run_until_complete(coro)
+
+
+def _make_hass_mock():
+    from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
+
+    hass = MagicMock()
+    hass.async_add_executor_job = AsyncMock(side_effect=(lambda fn, *a: fn(*a)))
+    return hass
+
+
+def _open_db(path) -> NestQuestDatabase:
+    database = NestQuestDatabase(_make_hass_mock())
+    _run(database.open(path))
+    _run(apply_migrations(database))
+    return database
+
+
+def _daos(database) -> tuple[ChildrenDao, AdminUsersDao]:
+    return ChildrenDao(database), AdminUsersDao(database)
+
+
+NOW = "2026-09-14T11:00:00+00:00"
+
+
+def _make_child(dao, name="Ada", **kwargs) -> ChildRecord:
+    return _run(dao.create(name, NOW, **kwargs))
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# children: create and get
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_create_returns_typed_record(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "create.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        child = _make_child(dao, colour="#ff0000", avatar_ref="avatars/1")
+        assert isinstance(child, ChildRecord)
+        assert child.id == 1
+        assert child.display_name == "Ada"
+        assert child.colour == "#ff0000"
+        assert child.avatar_ref == "avatars/1"
+        assert child.sort_order == 0
+        assert child.is_active is True
+        assert child.created_at == NOW
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_get_returns_none_for_missing_child(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "get-missing.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        assert _run(dao.get(999)) is None
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_create_duplicate_name_is_allowed(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "dup-name.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        first = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        second = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        assert first.id != second.id
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# children: list active / list all
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_list_active_excludes_inactive_and_sorts(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "list-active.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        _make_child(dao, "Bo", sort_order=2)
+        ada = _make_child(dao, "Ada", sort_order=1)
+        cy = _make_child(dao, "Cy", sort_order=1)
+        _make_child(dao, "Dee", sort_order=0)
+        _run(dao.set_active(ada.id, False))
+        active = _run(dao.list_active())
+        assert [c.display_name for c in active] == ["Dee", "Cy", "Bo"]
+        assert all(c.is_active for c in active)
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_list_all_includes_inactive(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "list-all.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        ada = _make_child(dao, "Ada", sort_order=1)
+        _make_child(dao, "Bo", sort_order=0)
+        _run(dao.set_active(ada.id, False))
+        all_children = _run(dao.list_all())
+        assert [c.display_name for c in all_children] == ["Bo", "Ada"]
+        assert all_children[1].is_active is False
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# children: update, set_active, reorder
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_update_fields_round_trip(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "update.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        child = _make_child(dao, "Ada", colour="#111111")
+        updated = _run(
+            dao.update(
+                child.id,
+                display_name="Ada L.",
+                colour="#222222",
+                avatar_ref="avatars/x.png",
+            )
+        )
+        assert updated == 1
+        fetched = _run(dao.get(child.id))
+        assert fetched is not None
+        assert fetched.display_name == "Ada L."
+        assert fetched.colour == "#222222"
+        assert fetched.avatar_ref == "avatars/x.png"
+        assert fetched.sort_order == 0
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_update_omitted_fields_untouched(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "update-partial.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        child = _make_child(dao, "Ada", colour="#111111")
+        _run(dao.update(child.id, display_name="Ada L."))
+        fetched = _run(dao.get(child.id))
+        assert fetched.colour == "#111111"
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_update_no_fields_returns_zero_and_changes_nothing(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "update-empty.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        child = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        assert _run(dao.update(child.id)) == 0
+        fetched = _run(dao.get(child.id))
+        assert fetched is not None and fetched.display_name == "Ada"
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_update_missing_child_returns_zero(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "update-missing.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        assert _run(dao.update(999, display_name="X")) == 0
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_set_active_missing_child_returns_zero(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "set-active-missing.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        assert _run(dao.set_active(999, False)) == 0
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_reorder_assigns_positions_in_order(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "reorder.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        a = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        b = _make_child(dao, "Bo")
+        c = _make_child(dao, "Cy")
+        _run(dao.reorder([c.id, a.id, b.id]))
+        children = _run(dao.list_all())
+        assert [x.display_name for x in children] == ["Cy", "Ada", "Bo"]
+        assert [x.sort_order for x in children] == [0, 1, 2]
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_reorder_is_transactional_and_idempotent(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "reorder-idempotent.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        a = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        b = _make_child(dao, "Bo")
+        _run(dao.reorder([b.id, a.id]))
+        _run(dao.reorder([b.id, a.id]))
+        children = _run(dao.list_all())
+        assert [(x.display_name, x.sort_order) for x in children] == [
+            ("Bo", 0),
+            ("Ada", 1),
+        ]
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_reorder_empty_list_is_noop(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "reorder-empty.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        _run(dao.reorder([]))
+        children = _run(dao.list_all())
+        assert children[0].sort_order == 0
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_reorder_unknown_id_leaves_it_untouched(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "reorder-unknown.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        a = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        _run(dao.reorder([a.id, 999]))
+        children = _run(dao.list_all())
+        assert children[0].sort_order == 0
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_reorder_survives_partial_state_on_rollback(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "reorder-rollback.db")
+    try:
+        dao, _ = _daos(database)
+        a = _make_child(dao, "Ada")
+        b = _make_child(dao, "Bo")
+        _run(dao.reorder([b.id, a.id]))
+        # After a successful reorder no staged negative offsets remain.
+        rows = _run(
+            database.fetch_all(
+                "SELECT display_name, sort_order FROM children"
+            )
+        )
+        assert all(row[1] >= 0 for row in rows)
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# admin_users: add, remove, list, exists
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_admin_add_then_exists(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-add.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        assert _run(dao.add("user-1", NOW)) is True
+        assert _run(dao.exists("user-1")) is True
+        assert _run(dao.exists("user-2")) is False
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_admin_add_is_idempotent(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-idempotent.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        assert _run(dao.add("user-1", NOW)) is True
+        assert _run(dao.add("user-1", NOW)) is False
+        records = _run(dao.list())
+        assert len(records) == 1
+        assert records[0].added_at == NOW
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_admin_add_preserves_original_added_at(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-added-at.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        _run(dao.add("user-1", NOW))
+        _run(dao.add("user-1", "2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00"))
+        records = _run(dao.list())
+        assert records[0].added_at == NOW
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_admin_remove_returns_true_then_false(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-remove.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        _run(dao.add("user-1", NOW))
+        assert _run(dao.remove("user-1")) is True
+        assert _run(dao.remove("user-1")) is False
+        assert _run(dao.exists("user-1")) is False
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_admin_list_returns_typed_records_ordered(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-list.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        _run(dao.add("user-2", "2026-09-14T10:00:00+00:00"))
+        _run(dao.add("user-1", "2026-09-14T09:00:00+00:00"))
+        records = _run(dao.list())
+        assert isinstance(records[0], AdminUserRecord)
+        assert [r.ha_user_id for r in records] == ["user-1", "user-2"]
+        assert records[0].added_at == "2026-09-14T09:00:00+00:00"
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_admin_exists_empty_allowlist_fails_closed(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-empty.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        assert _run(dao.exists("user-1")) is False
+        assert _run(dao.list()) == []
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+def test_admin_records_are_typed_not_raw_rows(tmp_path) -> None:
+    database = _open_db(tmp_path / "admin-typed.db")
+    try:
+        _, dao = _daos(database)
+        _run(dao.add("user-1", NOW))
+        records = _run(dao.list())
+        assert records == [AdminUserRecord("user-1", NOW)]
+    finally:
+        _run(database.close())
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# No SQL for these tables outside the module
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_children_and_admin_sql_lives_only_in_dao_module() -> None:
+    import re
+    from pathlib import Path
+
+    package = Path(
+        __import__("custom_components.nestquest", fromlist=["__file__"]).__file__
+    ).parent
+    offenders = []
+    pattern = re.compile(
+        r"(FROM|INTO|UPDATE)\s+children\b|(FROM|INTO|DELETE FROM)\s+admin_users\b",
+        re.IGNORECASE,
+    )
+    for py in package.glob("*.py"):
+        if py.name == "dao_children.py" or py.name == "schema.py":
+            continue
+        text = py.read_text()
+        if pattern.search(text):
+            offenders.append(py.name)
+    assert offenders == [], (
+        f"SQL for children/admin_users leaked into: {offenders}"
+    )
\ No newline at end of file