Introduction. For several years now, in science, in journalism, and in the broadly understood public opinion, there has been a discussion about the dire state of child psychiatry in Poland. Since the beginning of my professional work, both scientifi c and pedagogical practice, that is for a decade – I have invariably been faced with a hypothesis about the ineffi ciency of the system of support and care for children and adolescents. Aim. In the presented article the assumptions of the reform of the health care of children and adolescents will be presented from the pedagogical perspective, thus referring primarily to the care and educational work in the immediate environment of the needy. This perspective will be preceded by an analysis of the current state of the mental health of children and young people. The starting point for discussing the assumptions of the reform will be the reconstruction of the category of mental wellbeing, as an important element of positive psychology, which comprehensively defi nes mental health, and which is a desirable state in work with children and young people. The aim of the article is to discuss not only the assumptions of the reform, but also to verify the functioning of the mental health care system at the fi rst reference level in the initial phase of the reform implementation. Materials and methods. Analysis of the literature on the subject, legal regulations, and statistical data, and referring them to practice and the author’s own experience. Results. The literature review and the most important statistical data show that the mental well-being of young people determines their proper development, and the most important socialisation environments are responsible for its development: family, peer group, school, and also places of help and support. Conclusions. The key in the protection of the mental health of children and adolescents should become prevention based on the construction of programmes strengthening competences, which are understood as dimensions of mental well-being, and further reforming the protection of the mental health of children and adolescents.