The datasets contain information on the intervention aspects of the risks of social exclusion of children in Croatian early childhood education and care institutions (ECEC). It comprises qualitative and quantitative data. These are: 1. "Questionnaire on the quality of pedagogical practice in relation to children at risk of social exclusion", which aims to assess competences in recognising the needs of children at risk of social exclusion and responding appropriately to these needs (n = 1299 preschool educators from 66 Croatian ECEC); 2. Structured interviews to investigate the quality of pedagogical practice with regard to the needs of children at risk of social exclusion (n = 43 preschool teachers, 15 professional carers and 43 children); 3. Vignettes to analyse the ways in which pre-school teachers (n = 34) and professional carers (n = 13) experience and interpret the risk of social exclusion. The theoretical framework for analysing the quality of educational practice comes from the standards of the International Step by Step Association (2010). These Standards operationalise the quality of pedagogical practice through seven quality areas: 1) interactions; 2) family and community; 3) inclusion, diversity and democratic values; 4) assessment and planning; 5) teaching strategies; 6) learning environment and 7) professional development. These quality areas are based on a humanistic and socio-constructivist paradigm and the fundamental starting point is developmentally appropriate practice and an individualised approach to children and learning through interaction and dialogue between children and between children and adults. The dataset was created within the Models of Response to Educational Needs of Children at Risk of Social Exclusion in ECEC Institutions (MORENEC) project, funded by the Croatian Science foundation under grant number IP-2019-04-2011.