What does the cryptic crossword clue "Before, little kids would be folk locked away? (8)" mean?

The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). ERE (synonym="before") + MITES (synonym="little kids") = EREMITES The answer is EREMITES.

Before, little kids would be folk locked away? (8)

Guardian Cryptic #29453 | 18 Down | 2024-08-05 flower