I could see this happening accidentally, an affini taking their ward, giving them attention and care but also training them how to be a proper independant, but the ward has so much learned helplessness when it comes to controlling their own life that they assume they cannot be fixed.
“Of course I woke up on time and took my meds before my shower” they’d say, knowing fully well that they’ve been unable to do any of those things before their warship “the Affini who’s been helping us expects us to do it and we don’t want to disappoint her after she’s been so nice to us.”
So when the time comes for her hearing, her caretaker steps forward, ward bracing to hear how she needs to be compulsorily domesticated but instead hears about all the stuff she does on the daily. How she’s a happy and healthy individual now that she’s been given proper guidelines.
The ward is allowed independence, something they never thought they’d get, and that first day without their Affini is so isolating and boring it leads to a dramatic confession where the ward pours their heart out and begs to be their affini’s pet.
And of course what affini would say no to that?