background Dutch child- and adolescent psychiatry (cap) is going through a complex phase now that the Youth Law has decreed that cap is to be placed under control of the municipality (i.e. local government) instead of the national government.
aim To explain and discuss this development from a historical perspective.
method Information was obtained from historical sources.
results The municipality, i.e. local government, has played an important role in parts of youth mental health since the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1980s, however, governance was transferred to the national government, only to be passed back to the municipality in the early years of the 21st century.
conclusion The level of governance, be it local or national, can bring both advantages and disadvantages to the youth mental health services. Up till now there have been several transfers from one level of governance to the other. It would be better if the two levels of governance were combined and the various parts controlled by a combination of the most appropriate types of governance.